Uchiha's Snow
by Tora-Hime-Melody
Summary: Yukino was a girl that left Konoha with her parents only to return in less than a year all alone. What would happen to everyone if one person was added into the mix? What if that one person happened to be close to the Uchihas?
1. Memories

~Black~

I stumbled across the path. I could see the large gates of Konoha before me. There was one family I knew I could go to: the Uchihas.

~Black~

Sasuke had run ahead of me. I could hear him talking to Itachi as I reached the front door. "Train with me today." "Sorry, not today." I watched Itachi do his finger flick to Sasuke's forehead. He stood up and started to leave. I ran up to him, "you should really stop saying that, by the time…" I was never able to finish that sentence. He'd always put his hand on top of my head. He walked off after that.

~Black~

Sasuke was frozen, his eyes locked with Itachi's before us. I looked down to see their parents dead on the floor. I realized right away what was going on. I reached into my weapon pouch on my right leg and threw a kunai towards Itachi. He dodged it easily but it worked. Sasuke screamed and fell to his knees. It was only a few seconds since we had entered the room and saw Itachi. Hopefully he would be ok. "Why?" I asked, I didn't know when I had started crying. My side had been burning, and the feeling had started to spread somewhat over my body. Itachi continued to stair as us with his cold emotionless eyes. I couldn't take it, I did some hand signs I didn't know I knew and I blasted Itachi and the roof with an intense blast of air. Both the roof and Itachi went flying.

~Black~

Sasuke and Naruto were stuck in some sort of ice dome fighting some kid in a mask. I couldn't see anything clearly through the fog. I edged forward towards the dome, but was stopped before I could take more than a few steps. The bridge builder barked in my ear, "You need to stay and protect me!" I was stuck on the sidelines while my teammates fought the enemy. I was still able to slowly move closer to the dome and watched as Sasuke realized his Sharingan and used it against the mask guy. Only he sacrificed himself to protect Naruto. Naruto was enraged as some odd red chakra issued from his body and started to crack the dome. He went off to fight the mask guy and the bridge builder finally had enough sense to let me go by Sasuke. He looked to be dead. I started to get angry as the burning sensation returned to my side and started to spread; just like a few years ago.

~Black~

The man before us was strange. His skin on his face was peeling off. My head was already hurting; it seemed I had known him from somewhere. He spoke up as he was doing some hand signs, "My name is Orochimaru. If you want to see me again, then survive and pass this exam. Of course, defeating my men, the sound ninja trio on the way." My side started to burn, "What the hell are you talking about?! We'd never want to see your face again!" He spoke up again, "Hehe, it won't go that way…" His neck extended as it went towards Sasuke. I couldn't move in time before the enemy bit down between Sasuke's sholder and neck. Right then I remembered what had happened to me, and then I knew what had happened to Sasuke. "Sasuke will seek me," Orochimaru was muttering, "to seek power." A mark appeared were Orochimaru had bit him.

~Black~

The rain was coming down hard as I finally reached the scene where I felt the huge chakra just moments before. Sasuke was leaning over Naruto, and somehow I knew what he was going to do. "Sasuke stop! Don't!" I called out to him. He just got up and started walking towards the forest, holding his left arm. "Sasuke!" I ran up to him. "Go back," he commanded. I ran ahead of him and stopped in his path, "I'm the same as you, I can go with you!" He had witnessed firsthand how I was like him. "Fine, but I'm not responsible for you," he responded coldly. We walked together into the forest.

~Black~

It was dark as a girl awoke from unconsciousness. She was in a dark cell deep underground where only candlelight could reach her. Her body ached from sleeping on the hard ground floor. She shook her head to brush away the memories that were dug up in her sleep. The only thing that mattered was the future, or what little she had left of it. Her eyes had finally adjusted as a pale man with long black hair and snake eyes walked into the room.

"I need you one last time Yukino," Orochimaru said as the cell door opened.


	2. Sasuke

Orochimaru meet up with Kabuto. "Take her, I have some pests to deal with." He walked down a different hallway as Kabuto lead Yukino into a strange room. Along the wall were odd bottles and jars. In the center of the room was a single table with straps at odd places.

"Please lie down." Kabuto instructed the girl. She did as she was told. Kabuto started restraining her arms, legs and torso to the table.

Sasuke stood on the edge of the crater he had just created in Orochimaru's hideout. Down below stood a guy that had just tried to capture him and take him back to Konoha. Sasuke had on Orochimaru's theme of clothes. An open shirt and black pants with a large purple rope tied to the side. A sword was sticking out of the rope on his back.

Sakura had run out from one of the hallways into the opening. She ran at Sai and wrapped her hand around his throat. "What do you think you're doing?" she shouted at him. She turned to look up and saw the man they had come for. "Sasuke…?"

Naruto had run out as well and now was looking up at his friend. It had been two and a half years since they had seen each other.

"Naruto…" Sasuke looked down at them, "does that mean Kakashi is here as well?"

A new man came out now, "Unfortunately, Kakashi-san couldn't be here. But I'm here in his place. We, Team Kakashi, are going to take you back to Konoha."

Sasuke looked down and the newly formed team, "Team Kakashi huh…?"

The new member pulled out a short sword from his back and pointed it at Sasuke.

"Sai!" Sakura called out. "I knew it!"

"So he's my replacement. He was spouting some kind of nonsense about protecting the bonds between Naruto and me…one more pansy for the group." Sasuke said emotionlessly to the group.

Sai spoke up, "It is true, my top-secret mission was indeed the assassination of Sasuke…but those orders don't matter anymore. Now I want to think and act for myself, because of Naruto-kun, I feel like I might be able to remember something… Remember how I used to feel. Something which I can't help but feeling was very important to me…" He continued, "I may not know you all that well, but there's a reason why Naruto-kun and Sakura-san chase after you with so much passion…in order to prevent their bonds with you from breaking…in order to keep them intact, they're doing everything they can. I still don't have a very good understanding of it myself. But you, Sasuke-kun, you should know why." Sai was glaring up at him.

"Sure, I did know," Sasuke looked down in distaste at the group, "and that's why I severed them. I have other bonds to carry."

Both Naruto and Sakura looked shocked at his words.

Sasuke continued, "Fraternal bonds, forged through hate…" He just stood there as he continued, "Having too many bonds causes one to lose focus, weakening their strongest wish, their greatest desire."

Naruto looked angry for a moment before his face was overcome with sadness. "If that's true…" He looked down for a moment, "If that's true, then why…why didn't you kill me back then?! Is that what you call severing bonds Sasuke?" He was looking up again.

Sakura looked over to her teammate, concerned. "Naruto…"

"The reason is simple," Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, "and it isn't that I wasn't able to sever my bonds with you…" he opened his eyes again."I simply didn't want to give him the pleasure of seeing me attain power by submitting to his plans."

Naruto looked even angrier at his words, "What do you mean by that?"

"There's no need for me to tell you…" he continued, "still, the one thing I can say to you…is that back then…I choose to spare your life at nothing more than a whim of mine." In a split second he was down in front of Naruto with his arm wrapped around the blonde's shoulders.

Suddenly, a high pitched scream echoed through the halls and into the clearing. It sounded like a girl was in immense pain…

Sasuke turned to look down the hall where the sound had come from. The others couldn't see it, but he actually had a shocked look on his face.

The members of Team Kakashi looked confused. Who was in pain and why was it drawing Sasuke's attention away from them?

Sasuke removed his arm from around Naruto. "I can deal with you anytime I wish." He turned towards the hallway. He left as he started to follow the screaming, which was only growing louder.

"We'll see if she can survive this." Orochimaru said as he watched the poor Yukino scream and thrash against her bindings on the table.

Sasuke entered the room, "What are you up to in here, Orochimaru?" He looked like he didn't care as he leaned against a wall.

Yukino's shirt had been taken off to reveal her bust was tightly wrapped. On the side Sasuke could see there was a new curse mark that had just finishing appearing over her rib cage. She screamed out louder as the mark finished appearing.

"Just doing another experiment." Orochimaru answered him.

"What does it matter to you, Sasuke-kun?" Kabuto asked, adjusting his glasses.

"No reason." he said coolly as he moved from the wall towards the girl. Her long black hair was hanging off the table. Her eyes were clenched shut in pain. She had stopped screaming but was still thrashing violently against her binding. Her black pants had bunched up revealing the bruises that were appearing from all the movement.

In one fluid motion, Sasuke had unsheathed his sword and lunged at Orochimaru. It went through air, however as Orochimaru dodged quickly towards the back wall.

Kabuto slashed at Sasuke with his glowing hands. He had focused his chakra into them to attack. Sasuke shifted and swung at him. Kabuto only dodged and was again at Orochimaru's side.

"Struck a nerve with you, Sasuke?" Orochimaru asked.

"No," He said calmly, blocking the path from the girl to Orochimaru. "I just think it's unnecessary to put two curse marks on one person." Sasuke was on the opposite side of the girl now, who now had matching curse marks on each side. He knew that curse mark had already been on her for years.

"I just wanted to see the results…" Orochimaru said, with venom in his voice.

"Are you against Lord Orochimaru's wishes?" Kabuto asked.

Footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. It seemed that Team Kakashi had chosen to follow Sasuke.

"It seems our time here is up." Orochimaru said coolly. He looked to the girl on the table, who had now stopped moving altogether. "It looks like the experiment failed anyways. Let's go." Orochimaru turned to leave through the other exit in the room. Kabuto followed shortly behind.

Sasuke continued to stand near the girl. "No."

Orochimaru turned quickly and glared at him. "Are you defying me?"

"I was never one of your followers. I used you for power – nothing more."

The footsteps were getting louder, closer.

"We don't have time, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto reminded his master.

"Fine." Orochimaru spat, "I'll deal with the Uchiha another time…" he turned quickly as the two left the room.

Sasuke turned around just in time to see the four from before enter the room.


	3. Home

Team Kakashi entered the room and stood in shock at the sight before them. One of their own was lying tied down to a table in the middle of the room. Someone they hadn't seen since Sasuke left over two years ago. Sasuke was at work removing the restraints from the girl.

Sakura was the first to speak. "Yukino?" Her eyes were wide in shock.

No response came from the girl as Sasuke continued to work without saying a word. Somehow, it seemed that he had changed since just a few moments ago.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked loudly.

Sasuke had finished freeing Yukino as he picked her up easily bridal-style. He walked around the table slowly and approached the group. They all took defensive positions. "She needs help."

They were all surprised at his tone. It wasn't at all the cold voice he had used back at the crater. This voice seemed genuinely concerned.

"Let me see." Sakura commented as she slowly approached Sasuke. She had taken off her gloves and put them away in her pocket.

Naruto whipped out his hand and caught her shoulder, stopping her from going any farther. She looked at him and shook it off, continuing to approach the two before her. As she approached, her hand started glowing green; evidence of her medical chakra.

Sakura looked closer at the girl. Yukino appeared to barely even be breathing. She reached out her hand towards Yukino only for her hand to be knocked back by a barrier of wind that seemed to surround the girl.

Sakura tried again, going slower this time. Again she was stopped by a layer of wind that seemed to surround Yukino. "What…" She hovered her hand as close as she could and tried to figure out what was going on.

She stepped back in shock. "Her chakra is going out of control as it is fighting itself within her body!"

"What?" Naruto looked at her, confused.

"It's like if you were to take too many chakra pills." She explained replacing her gloves. "We need to take her to Lady Tsunade right away."

"Alright," Sasuke responded as he took a step forward. "let's go."

All of Team Kakashi looked at him in shock. They were just trying to get him to come back to Konoha and he refused. But now he was taking the offer to take Yukino back there. Why was Yukino even here in the first place?

Sasuke had taken another step. "We're wasting time."

That seemed to snap everyone out of their own thoughts. The team leader had started to take the lead as the rest followed quickly behind. The six ninja quickly were out of Orochimaru's hideout and were on their way back to Konoha; back home.

Five of them had walked into Konoha. Yukino was still being carried; out cold and barely breathing. They were stopped by the two gate guards. Yamato, the stand-in for Kakashi, told them how this was urgent and they let the group through.

They made it to the hospital with Sakura and Yamato escorting Sasuke who was still carrying Yukino. Sai and Naruto ran off to go get Lady Tsunade.

Sakura had Sasuke put Yukino down on a bed at the top floor of the hospital. She took off her gloves again as she put her hair back. She stood on one side of the girl as Sasuke stood on the other. Yamato stayed back against a wall so he wouldn't get in the way. Again Sakura tried to touch Akemi but was forced back by a gust of wind that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Almost immediately, the door opened to reveal Lady Tsunade followed by Naruto and Sai. Tsunade walked over and examined Yukino.

"This girl disappeared about the same time that Sasuke left the village." She looked to Sasuke now.

Some of his attitude had returned. "She followed me to Orochimaru."

"What did she do there?" Tsunade asked him.

He sat on the side of the bed. "She was mostly just a test subject for him. Clearly seen from the two curse marks on her sides."

She tried to put her hand on Akemi's forehead, but was met with the same wind that Sakura had twice before. Tsunade witnessed how Sasuke was able to brush up against Akemi without getting pushed off by the wind. She had a theory going…

Tsunade turned to the others in the room. Almost all the members of the old Team 7 were present. "Naruto."

Naruto was caught off guard."Yea granny?"

Tsunade's eye twitched. "Come here, I want you to try something."

Naruto walked over as Tsunade stepped back. "Try putting your hand on Akemi."

He had seen what had happened to both Sakura and Tsunade, and now he was hesitant to do it.

"What's taking so long?" Tsunade asked angrily.

Naruto was afraid of Tsunade's wrath more than the wind. He reached out slowly and put his hand on Akemi's arm. Nothing happened.

Sasuke looked from Naruto, to his hand on Yukino, and back to Naruto. "We get it, you can you touch her." His attitude was worse than ever.

"Oh, right." Naruto pulled his hand back and backed back up. He felt some sort of hostility from Sasuke. Although, it didn't seem much different than before for what he could tell.

Tsunade was starting to piece things together. If Naruto was able to touch Akemi as well as Sasuke, then maybe there was one more that would be able to touch the girl. "Sakura, go get Kakashi."

"What?" Sakura asked, completely caught off guard. "But he's still recovering from the mission before."

"He won't be doing anything strenuous." Tsunade assured her.

"Right M'lady." Sakura left the room to go fetch her sensei.

Tsunade looked to the other members that were in the room. She still didn't know exactly what Sai's intentions were for the team. She wasn't left much time to think because the door opened shortly.

Kakashi came in leaning on Sakura's shoulders. He looked around the room and was surprised to see both Sasuke and Yukino back. "You called?"

"Kakashi, come over here and put your hand on Yukino." Tsunade instructed him.

He hobbled over with Sakura's help and gently placed his hand on the girl's arm, opposite of Sasuke. Again, he was able to touch her when Sakura and Tsunade were not.

"That's fine." Tsunade commented. Kakashi and Sakura backed off. "Sai, you do the same."

He walked over, but before he could even reach the girl's bedside the room was blasted with a gush of wind. Sai was pushed back away from the bed.

"She won't attack those who she trusts…" Tsunade said, more to herself. She turned to the others in the room, "Sai, Sakura, and Naruto; why don't you three go get something to eat. You must be tired from your mission."

They had come straight from the hospital after their previous mission; although, it didn't seem like it was that big of a deal, the members of Team Kakashi were feeling the fatigue now.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto turned to the pink-haired girl near him, "do you want to go to Ichiraku Ramen?"

"I should help with Kakashi-sensei." she started, but Tsunade waved her off.

"He should be fine, go eat."

Sakura looked from Kakashi to Naruto. "Sure, Sai why don't you join us?"

Naruto looked disheartened at the 'third-wheel' Sakura had just added on.

"Sure." Sai responded simply. The three teens left the room with Naruto chatting with Sakura and Sai following quietly.

Once the noise died down Tsunade turned to the others in the room once again. "Kakashi, you'll have to re-seal their curse marks once you're recovered."

"Yes." Kakashi agreed with her.

Sasuke stiffened up at those words. He remembered the pain he went through the first time almost three years ago. With his curse mark fully awakened now, the pain would only be that much worse. He looked to the girl still unconscious on the bed. His pain would be nowhere near the intensity she would have to go through.

"I want ANBU on this room at all times. These two may not leave. Once the curse marks are sealed, we can figure out what to do with them." Tsunade explained further.

"I'm guessing you want me to be stationed here, am I correct?" Yamato questioned her.

"Yes, you will stay at the door. I will post two more in the hall."

"Is that much protection really necessary?" Kakashi asked.

It seemed they had forgotten the audience in the room. Sasuke was surprised at how open the Hokage was with this information in front of the people she was talking about. Sasuke realized that she knew that they were a threat, but did she really know how much?

She looked over to Sasuke now. "Probably not, but if the elders hear about them they will make an even bigger fuss." She sighed. "This will pacify them as well as Shizune."

Kakashi chuckled. "That's true."

"You should probably get back to bed." Tsunade suggested.

Yamato helped Kakashi out of the room and Tsunade followed them out. Now Sasuke and Yukino were left alone in the room.


	4. Awake

Sasuke looked to the girl lying on the bed. Her chest rose and fell with small movements. Her skin had goose bumps from the chill of the room. He gently pulled the blankets over her from the end of the bed. He pulled a chair over and sat down, resting his one arm on the bed next to him. He closed his eyes in thought.

Orochimaru. He went too far this time. His experiments were out there to begin with, especially with what he had done to Yukino before. Putting two curse marks on one person…this was the first time he had done this.

Sasuke knew why Orochimaru had gone after Yukino more than any other of his lab rats. Yukino had followed Sasuke to Orochimaru's hideout, and became one of his lackeys because of himself. Orochimaru saw that Sasuke knew and felt _something_ for the girl, so he tried to extort that bond…

Anger was coursing through Sasuke's body, threatening to activate his own curse mark. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. It wouldn't do much good to cause chaos here, especially with ANBU not far away.

Pain. It was all she felt as she started coming back from the darkness. Her body was sore and her sides felt as if there were on fire. She opened her eyes weakly as everything was fuzzy at first. Yukino slowly lifted her left hand and moved it slightly, only to feel another's arm was lying on the bed. She felt more strength as she put her hand on top of theirs and lightly squeezed their hand.

Sasuke opened his eyes and turned to see that Yukino had her eyes open, and her hand was on his. He sighed as he relaxed. All the tension that was built up in his body from when he first saw her on the table was released. She was awake; she was going to be ok.

"Sasuke?" she asked him weakly. She tried to sit up but couldn't manage the energy.

He smiled back at her. Wait-he was smiling? He was shocked at himself for doing so but still couldn't hold it back. It was just a small one, but doing so made him feel even better.

Her eyes lit up to see him as she smiled in return. Her pain was almost forgotten for a moment before an intense pounding in her head brought her back to reality. Her head surged in pain as memories came flooding back. She clenched her eyes shut as her breathing became more ragged. She started screaming out in pain.

My father worked for the police in Konoha, and so my family was close to the Uchihas. Sasuke and I had grown up together and were best friends. We even went to the academy together and were practically inseparable, while getting Sasuke's fan-girls angry. Everything was great.

Until one day when my parents suddenly took me and left the village. We turned up at a hideout and I was given to a strange man called Orochimaru. I never did see or hear from my parents after that. I never saw anyone else but the strange snake-like man. After a time of just being there, he said he finally had a use for me.

Orochimaru had bit my side, marking me with his "curse mark" saying I had potential for him in the future. He sent me back to my home village.

Life went on as normal as it could be for a ninja when I returned. I was still friends with Sasuke. I witnessed the destruction of his clan. We got put on the same team with Naruto with Kakashi as our squad leader.

Our first big mission was the beginning of everything. Sasuke realized his sharingan. Something was different about Naruto. Even Kakashi was special with his sharingan in his left eye. My curse mark burned me but luckily it didn't activate.

Then there were the Chunin exams. Team 7 was able to make it through the written part somehow, but the survival exercise was more difficult. We ended up fighting who turned out to be Orochimaru and Naruto was knocked out. Sasuke got a curse mark, and it looked similar to the one I had.

After getting it, he was out for awhile, just like Naruto. I ended up fighting the three sound Ninja that Orochimaru had warned us about. I was doing alright for awhile, even with my own curse mark activated, but in the end Sasuke had to intervene and save us. A few of the other genin saw us fight, which just made things complicated later.

After the preliminary matches in the third part of the exam, both Sasuke and I got our curse marks sealed. I thought we'd be ok and that Sasuke wouldn't think about Orochimaru anymore…I was wrong.

"…ki…"

"Yu…no."

"Yukino."

"YUKINO!" Sasuke tried to calm the girl down.

She stopped screaming as she weakly opened her eyes. Her body was still in pain but her vision was coming back as she was brought to the present. She wasn't Orochimaru's lab rat anymore, she was home in Konoha. Sasuke was here and hopefully here to stay.

"Are you ok?" Sasuke asked before he could stop himself. When he was alone with her his heart would open itself up. He didn't want to be like this; he couldn't be if he wanted to kill Itachi. He couldn't ignore his past, all the memories the two shared…

She gasped in pain, "I'm ok," she spoke weakly.

Sasuke relaxed, he didn't even realize that he had tensed up again. "Surprising that no ANBU came in with your screaming."

Yukino shrugged her shoulders. That didn't hurt too much, maybe she could move more. She pulled herself up out of the covers to sit up.

"Careful…"

"Moving doesn't hurt that much."

Before Sasuke could say anything more, the door opened.

"Lady Tsunade," Yukino started.

The blond walked over to the bed, "How are you feeling?"

"Pain."

"Unfortunately there isn't anything I can do about pain from curse marks." She made sure to emphasize the S of marks.

"It's ok."

Tsunade got serious, "I have a few questions for the two of you. I thought it would be better me in here, rather than the interrogation team in _there_."


	5. Conversations

"Alright," Yukino answered weaker than she would have hoped. She had heard about the interrogation room and wanted nothing to do with it.

"What happened after you left the leaf village?" Tsunade asked.

Yukino watched as Sasuke rose from his seat and walked over to the window. She knew he was angry about the subject. Her heart was torn in two – what should she do?

"I went to Orochimaru and offered myself in any way that would be of use to him," she looked again at Sasuke but he didn't move an inch. 'I'm safe if I speak about me,' she thought to herself.

Tsunade stood there silently, awaiting the rest of the story.

"I was turned into one of his lab rats. He tested different mixtures in me, injecting me about twelve times a year. After being injected with different solutions twenty-four times Orochimaru seemed to give up." Yukino looked over to Sasuke who still seemed mad at the whole conversation.

He pushed himself off the windows and started walking towards the second door in the room. "Shower," he muttered, going to get cleaned up. He shut the door noiselessly behind him.

"Continue." Tsunade instructed the girl.

Yukino sighed, the stress leaving her body. If Sasuke wasn't in the room she couldn't get in trouble for what she'd say about Orochimaru.

"He believed that my curse mark was blocking the medications and gave up after two years. He kept me in a cell, moving from hideout to hideout when we were about to be discovered. I don't know what he was waiting for but after about half a year he finally decided on doing something more. That's why I have my second one." Yukino didn't know how much time had passed since she had gotten her second curse mark.

"I see," Tsunade stood there pondering what the girl had just explained to her. She couldn't make out what her former team mate what thinking.

Silence passed the time for a bit, "Lady Tsunade?"

"Right, thanks for telling me that information." She finally spoke up. She shifted her weight unconsciously, still processing everything. She finally was able to pull her mind from its current thought process and went onto a different subject. "Let me check that you're alright." She pulled her sleeves back. "Please lie down and stay very still, I won't hurt you."

"Ok," Yukino responded nervously as she slid down in her bed, pushing the covers back.

Tsunade checked Yukino over with her medical Ninjutsu. Everything seemed in check. Her muscles would spasm when her chakra would increase. Everything was connected to the pain that she was feeling.

Tsunade pulled out a small vile from her pocket. "You can sit up now."

Yukino did as she was told – again it didn't hurt as bad to move as she thought it would be. "Everything ok?"

"Yes, you seem healthy enough, no damage done to your body from being with Orochimaru." Tsunade gave the girl the small vile. "Drink this, I don't know if it will work but it's worth a shot."

"What is it?" she sniffed the small vile.

"It's an attempt at a pain reliever, it may not even work for you but it might help ease it."

"Ok," Yukino took the medication in one gulp and shuddered at the bitter taste.

After a bit of time to allow the medication time to work, Tsunade asked how it was working.

Yukino flexed her muscles and moved her limbs, everything seemed in working order and the pain was just a dull ache in her bones. "It worked!" she seemed really happy at this.

"That's good; I'll make up some more for when this round wears off. I don't know when that will happen so if your pain starts getting too bad talk to Yamato in the hall and he can contact me."

"Alright."

Tsunade moved towards the door and was about to leave when Yukino spoke out again.

"Thank you Lady Tsunade."

"Anytime." With that she left the room again.

Yukino shifted herself and slipped from the bed. She stretched her arms up. It was nice to move her body with just a slight ache of pain coursing through it. She took a few steps and saw the floor coming up to meet her.

"Klutz," a male voice echoed in her ear as her head landed on a bare chest.

She looked up to see that Sasuke had caught her before she could fall completely to the ground. He lifted her effortlessly and placed her back in bed.

"What were you doing up?"

"Lady Tsunade gave me some pain medication and so I thought I could walk. I guess I can't do that just yet." She smiled at him, only to shake her head a few moments later. "You're still wet Sasuke!" her old personality was coming back.

He only grunted a response. It didn't seem that he would revert back as easily.

"I'm going to try again, just a warning." She slipped out of bed, putting her full weight on her legs. So far so good, they weren't giving out on her. She took a step and it went well. She took a few more steps, she was feeling good.

"Go clean up."

She turned to him to see him sitting on the bed. He looked absolutely exhausted. If she took a shower, she'd be able to clean up and give him time to rest. "Ok."

"You'll need a shirt afterward. Use mine to cover up for now until the Hokage can get you some new clothes."

Her heart pained a bit when he only spoke of new clothes for her. As if he wouldn't need clothes because he wasn't planning on staying in the village. She mentally shook herself as she smiled back at him, "thanks!" She moved herself into the bathroom and started up the shower.


	6. Naruto

She had time to think while showering, although she was aware that she was reading into everything to far. Her mind kept playing out simulations of what could happen. From both Sasuke and herself being accepted and returning to ninja life within the village to both of them being killed. What seemed most probable at the moment was Yukino staying back in the village while Sasuke left to return to Orochimaru.

She didn't like that path.

She stood letting the hot water run down her body. Delaying for more time really wasn't working out for her. Her mind was just playing with her, making her feel worse than she already felt. She stretched on her tip toes, reaching for the ceiling of the shower. Moving all of her muscles under the hot water felt good.

She shut off the water and got dressed. Yukino put on Sasuke's shirt and wrapped it around herself. She tied the cloth from her wrap around her waist to keep the shirt from opening up. After finishing drying herself off she slowly opened the door and peeked into the room.

Sasuke was lying on the bed, fast asleep. She slowly left the bathroom and shut the door quietly. Sasuke needed all the rest he could get. Yukino walked over and pulled the blanket over him, just as he had done for her earlier.

She smiled at the sight. When Sasuke was sleeping he looked like his younger self. All the anger and hatred was gone as the teen slept.

Yukino was brought out of her mindset with the sound of a door opening. She turned around quickly to see Naruto standing in the doorway with a basket in hand.

"Yukino!" Naruto called out, walking loudly in the room.

She looked back to the sleeping Sasuke quickly. He still seemed asleep, but it was better to be safe than sorry. She turned back around, quickly and quietly bounding over to Naruto to quiet him down.

"Suush!" she hushed him, reaching around him to close the door lightly. "Sasuke just fell asleep."

"Oh," Naruto whispered.

Yukino took a step back and looked Naruto over. The last time she had seen him was when he was beaten pretty bad and unconscious on the ground by the Valley of the End. He had grown taller and he looked more mature now.

Naruto gave her a confused look.

"Sorry, it's just that you've changed!"

"Sakura said the same thing when I came back from training," Naruto commented.

The two of them walked over by the windows. It was farthest place in the room away from the sleeping Sasuke. Naruto leaned against the wall while Yukino sat on the little ledge of the windows.

"How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, Lady Tsunade gave me some pain medication so it's ok."

Naruto gave her one of his goofy grins, "that's good. Yea grandma Tsunade is the best with fixing people up."

"Mmhmm" she agreed with him.

"How was it…over there?" Naruto paused nervously. He didn't know if he should talk about it with her.

"I really don't know. I was in my cell most of the time when we weren't switching from base to base. I was stuck in a few of the larger holding places from time to time."

"Why?"

Yukino was the confused one now, "what?"

"Why did you leave? I know Sasuke left to gain power from Orochimaru to revenge his clan…"

"I didn't have a reason like Sasuke," she looked down to the floor. "I had been marked for a long time by him and I knew that I would have to return sometime. This way I could go with Sasuke and maybe have a chance at surviving…"

"You could have stayed; you never have to go to a guy like that!" Naruto's voice was increasing in volume a bit. "Your home is here in the leaf village, not with a monster like that guy."

"I didn't say that it was my home." She kept her voice quiet yet, "I know why I was allowed to return the first time to the village. I was the key for him to get Sasuke…I had gone along with his plan unknowingly until it was too late. What else could I have done? It was my fault that Sasuke got his curse mark, it was my fault that Sasuke went to him…"

"Stop." Naruto had moved and placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up into his cerulean eyes.

"You don't understand…" she didn't break eye contact. "His plan for me was to get Sasuke so he could get him. He was planning it from the beginning. My parents were spies for him, and that's how he found out that I was close to Sasuke."

"It's not your fault. Orochimaru had things planned from the beginning; you didn't have any other choice. I could have been stronger and stopped him from leaving in the first place. I should have been a better friend…"

She could see the concern and the pain that was deep within Naruto's eyes. Their childhoods were different and they both grew up different too. However the emotions that they felt were similar. They both believed that they had failed at saving Sasuke.

She looked over to the bed where Sasuke was still lying. The body under the blanket rose and fell in rhythm. "But we're back and we just have to make sure he doesn't leave again."

"You think he's going to?" Naruto was shocked.

"I don't know, but it's what I'm worried about."

There was a bit of silence. Finally Naruto realized where his hand was and retracted it, leaning against the wall once more. Yukino had some food from the basket Naruto brought. The light slowly changed colors as the sun started to set.


	7. Old Times

"So what happened while we were gone?" Yukino asked, trying to pick up the conversation again.

"I really don't know all that much that happened in the village. I left with Ero-Sannin to train before I even gotten out of the hospital. I got back only a bit ago actually."

"Oh, what have you done since you got back?"

Naruto went on for a bit to tell her about his mission fighting the Akatsuki and saving Gaara's life.

"Wow sounds exciting!" Yukino commented after his story, bounding up and down a little.

Naruto couldn't help but notice that Yukino had changed quite a bit since the last time he had seen her. Her hair was longer and she had gotten a little taller but she was smaller than everyone else to begin with. She did seem to have matured over the years. Especially in one particular department…

Sasuke was awake as looked over at the pair. Yukino was standing near the windows wearing his shirt. Naruto was looking in a place where his eye shouldn't be. "What is?" he asked, sitting up in the bed, rubbing his head.

The two teens looked over and tried to stifle their laughter. Sasuke's hair was sticking up in every which direction from lying down while it was still damp. It more resembled Naruto's hairstyle now.

"What?" he asked, a bit annoyed.

"Your hair," Yukino was the first to speak.

He just shrugged it off; he didn't care about his appearance. He had no reason to, especially with the current company that was in the room. The other teens were finally able to control themselves.

"Naruto was telling me about how he saved Gaara's life," Yukino finally answered his original question. The two teens joined the bed-head bringing over his share of food.

Sasuke ate while Naruto retold his story, a quicker version than what he told Yukino just before. Yukino just looked on at the pair; things seemed just like old times.

"Seems we didn't miss much being away," Sasuke commented.

"This is great!" Yukino proclaimed loudly.

Both guys looked at her like she had lost her mind. "What are you talking about?"

"This is just like old times!" a huge smile was on her face, "just standing around talking about things. Next Kakashi-sensei is going to walk in with some type of excuse about why he is late and we'll go on another mission. Team Kakashi is back!"

Dead silence followed her little speech. The air in the room seemed heavy all of a sudden as the mood completely changed. She should have just kept her mouth shut.

"Team Kakashi really isn't 'team Kakashi' anymore." Naruto said sadly. "Yamato-Taichou is the leader since Kakashi-sensei is still recovering in the hospital. Sakura and Sai have replaced you two."

"Oh," Yukino was saddened by this. Her shoulders dropped as her smile disappeared.

"Hey but it doesn't mean that Team Kakashi can't get back together! They can just figure out something else to do with those other two!" Naruto said, trying to cheer her up.

"Thanks Naruto." A small smile returned.

Silence followed for a bit again as the sun sank past the tree line. The light was now coming only from the lights in the room. Naruto yawned loudly.

"I think I'm going to head home guys," Naruto announced to the room as he turned for the door.

"Ok Naruto, it was really nice to see you again." Yukino moved to walk with him but she stopped in mid-stride. Pain shot through her body like a dam had broken. It felt like it that had been holding it all back for the past few hours and released it all at once. Her face scrounged up as she felt her legs crumble under her.

Naruto was closest and already standing, but still both teens reached her at the same time. However, since they both were involved in the action something had to go wrong. They ended up banging into each other's heads as they went down to catch Yukino. Naruto fell backwards himself, clutching his head. Sasuke just ignored his own pain and caught Yukino at the last second before her own head hit the floor.

Sasuke picked the girl up and set her down in the bed, pulling the blankets over her.

"I'm ok," she huffed out, "I'm not tired."

"Rest." He commanded her. His eyes flashed red for only a few short moments before the girl was asleep. Sometimes his ocular jutsu came in handy when having to put others asleep.

Naruto was still sitting on the floor, looking up at the bed where Yukino was now asleep. He looked over to Sasuke. He had so many questions for his friend, but he didn't know where to start.

He stood up, "So she's asleep?"

"Yea," Sasuke commented simply, walking over to the window and sitting down on the small ledge. "She won't wake for awhile, even with the loudest noises."

"Good." Naruto walked over to his friend and pulled his arm back before throwing a punch right at Sasuke's face.

Sasuke didn't register what was going to happen in time and got punched in the side of the face hard. He fell from his seat onto the floor.

"What the hell?"

"Why did you let her go with you? Why did you go?" Naruto yelled.

There was a part of Sasuke that wanted to stand up and fight back, yell at Naruto at how he was wrong and explain everything. There was another part that told him to be cold and not respond at all. He huffed as he wiped the trickle of blood that had come down from his mouth as he stood up. "You wouldn't understand."

"You'd be surprised." Naruto said seriously, "try me."


	8. Truth

Sasuke didn't know what to do; which was a rare occurrence for him. There was a battle going on inside of him, and so far it seemed to be an even match.

Naruto continued to glare at his friend, waiting for an answer to his previous question.

Sasuke sat back at the window ledge and looked at the sleeping girl on the bed. The battle was nearing the end – and the truth side was winning. "Fine."

"I needed more power to be able to defeat Itachi. I wouldn't get stronger with just staying in Konoha so I left to seek Orochimaru's power."

"Why did you let Yukino go with you?" Naruto asked, "And why come back if you needed power?"

"Who said I was here to stay?"

Naruto was silent. He didn't want to believe that Sasuke was actually thinking of going back to the snake.

"Yukino followed me on her own will," Sasuke was finally answering Naruto's original question. "She had a curse mark even longer than I did so she could make her own choice. She chose to go back and then turned into one of his lab rats since she didn't have any other worth to him."

Naruto started to get angry now, "You knew what he was doing to her and you let him do it?"

"I had no say in what he did."

"She was a member of your team! You should have done something to protect her!" Naruto was only getting angrier. "She did so much to try to protect us in the past, to help us out. You just abandoned her!"

"Shut up!" It was Sasuke's turn to get angry. "Orochimaru knew that Yukino and I had a history. He used her to control me. He threatened worse experiments on her, if I didn't do what he wanted me to! I did my best to protect her…"

Naruto backed down, surprised at how emotional Sasuke was getting over all of this.

"Do you think I liked seeing her in so much pain? Orochimaru would make sure to take her with us when we'd switch bases. It was difficult on her, I know that!" Not once did Sasuke take his eyes off the sleeping Yukino during his speech. He slammed his fists down on windowsill. "I didn't know what else to do. I never had much time alone with her to be able to get her out of there."

"You're not planning on going back," Naruto summed up.

"I'm not strong enough to defeat Itachi yet." Sasuke looked away now from the girl to look at one of the walls.

"You can't go back," Naruto said, almost pleading. "Yukino would go after you to get you to come back. You'd both be in the same situation as before, if not worse…"

"I have to get my revenge, I am an avenger…"

"How are you even going to find Itachi?" Naruto asked.

"Go looking for him."

"Train here, with us. We've all gotten better while you were gone. He will come back around here, along with that fish guy."

"How do you know that?"

"Remember last time you saw Itachi? He was going after me…"

Sasuke turned to look at his friend. What was he getting at?

"I have something that they want, the Akatsuki." Naruto looked down to his stomach, where the seal was. "I have the Nine-Tailed Fox inside me, and eventually they will come after me again."

Sasuke looked at his friend, he was shocked even though it wasn't showing on his face.

"You'll see Itachi again if you stay here." Naruto looked back at Sasuke.

"We'll see," Sasuke now had bait to lure Itachi to him at least if he stayed here. He had to think things through.

"How do you think she'll be?" Naruto looked back to the sleeping Yukino.

"I don't know."

"You're worried about her."

"She is a member of our team."

Yukino had been fighting the darkness and was winning. She could hear garbled voices coming from one of her sides. Soon enough she was pulling out more and could start to understand the words. Naruto was still there, and talking with Sasuke.

'You're more concerned about her than that…how much do you really like her Sasuke?" Naruto had asked.

"I…" Sasuke started.

Yukino's heart started to race. Sasuke was concerned for her, and maybe actually felt something for her. She tried to calm her heart rate down. She could have sworn that the boys could hear it over there; it was so loud and fast. She tried to continue to look as if she was asleep; she wanted to hear what Sasuke was going to say.

"I…" Sasuke was starting, but was interrupted quickly when the door slammed open.

Sakura stormed into the room, "Na-ru-to!"

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called to her.

"What are you doing here? It's late!" Sakura said loudly.

"But I was talking to Yukino earlier and now Sasuke…"

Sakura turned, "Sasuke!"

Immediately Sasuke's personality changed as a bored look crossed his face and he became more distant.

Yukino decided that after Sakura's loud entrance, she could seem like she was getting up from that. She wouldn't get anything more out of Sasuke with other people in the room. She sat up slowly as she blinked her eyes.

"Yukino," Naruto said, pointing out to everyone else that she had gotten up.

"Oh Yukino!" Sakura said excitedly. She walked over to the girl's bedside, "how are you feeling?"

"Alright, mostly."

"That's good," Sakura sighed, "You went through a lot with Orochimaru right?"

Yukino winced at the name as pain spread through her body. The pain had been tolerable before Sakura had said that name.

Sakura had noticed the change, "Are you ok?"

"Yea," Yukino gasped, "Just don't say that name."

"Oh, sorry!" Sakura responded quickly.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked.

"Right! Naruto its time to go!" Sakura said energetically.

"I'm not the one who woke Yukino and is wasting time now," Naruto said.

Sakura hadn't heard him, "Let's go!" she grabbed Naruto's sleeve and pulled him out of the room.

Once the door closed behind them, Yukino sat at the edge of the bed towards Sasuke. "How long was I asleep?"

"Not too long."

"Did you have a good talk with Naruto?"

"He hit me."

"What? Why did he do that?"

Sasuke just shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, ok.."

Silence followed after their brief conversation.


	9. Freedom

Yukino's Outfit: http : / browse . deviantart . com / ?qh=§ion;=&global=1&q=yukino+uchiha+snow#/d2qrqbw (take out the spaces please to get to the site)

* * *

The silence was broken with a yawn coming from Sasuke, which was another rare thing for him.

"You need sleep," Yukino held back a laugh.

"I'm fine," he tried to keep up his tough act.

"You slept for probably a total of two hours within the past few days, right?" Yukino asked.

"I don't need," he couldn't finish through the yawn.

"Sleep," she finished his sentence. She got off the bed and grabbed both of his hands. Pulling upward, she dragged him over to the bed. After getting him on it she forced him to lie down.

"What about you?"

She smiled at him, "don't worry about me, I'll find something quiet to do."

"Kay…" he drifted off to sleep.

She pulled a blanket over him and walked a bit away to sit on the floor against the wall. She watched him sleep a bit before her mind started wandering.

A gentle knocking nose brought Yukino out of her dream. She startled awake, hopping onto her feet in defense position. The door started sliding open slowly. Yukino's eyes darted from the door, to the sleeping Sasuke, and back. Before the door could open fully, Yukino had moved to the side of the bed and crouched, growling deeply.

Sasuke awoke to a growling noise. He sat up to see the Hokage in the doorway. Looking down he saw Yukino in a crouched position. He placed his hand on Yukino's shoulder. This would happen at the hideout too…

"Yukino," he gently called her.

She blinked a few times as she straightened up. Slowly she turned around, "Sasuke?"

"Is everything alright?" Tsunade asked.

"Lady Tsunade." Yukino turned back around, forgetting her previous behavior.

"So you've been good kids," Tsunade commented.

"No, we didn't go out and destroy Konoha or anything if that's what you mean," yep, his attitude was back.

Tsunade stiffened for a brief second, but relaxed, "it will be a few more days until Kakashi will be at full strength, but you two need new clothes, and it would be cruel to keep you locked up in this room."

Yamato entered the room, "that's why you two will be hanging with me."

"Exactly," Tsunade continued, "You will stay with Yamato. He has been acting as Kakashi's replacement for Team 7. Once Kakashi is ready we can reseal your curse marks and go from there."

After getting some new clothes, thanks to Yamato, the trio set out into Konoha.

Sasuke had a white sleeveless vest and black Konoha pants. On the back collar of the vest was a small Uchiha fan. Yukino had black pants that went just past her knees and a top that showed her midriff. The top looked like a kimono. (Please see the link at the beginning of this chapter.)

"What now, Yamato-San?" Yukino asked energetically.

"Food would be good for you two," he commented lightly.

Sasuke stood back, standing like he didn't care at all. He kept glancing over at Yukino to check on how she was doing.

"Sasuke, relax," she said happily as she stretched her arms above her head. "I'm alright, so don't worry." She arched her back, twisting her body in different directions. "Man, being out in the fresh air feels so good!"

"So where would you guys like to eat? My treat." Yamato said.

"You don't have to do that Yamato-San," Yukino said quickly. "You already did enough by getting us new clothes; we can't let you treat us for food as well…"

"How else are you going to pay for your meal?" Yamato asked, a bit of playfulness slipping in.

"Ah…" Yukino commented.

The team went to a small restaurant to eat lunch. After everyone was full they left. There wasn't much talking done. It seemed that there wasn't much to talk about really.

The trio stood awkwardly in the street outside the restaurant, unknowing of what to do next. Before anyone could make a suggestion, Yukino cringed in pain as the world spun a few times.

"Yukino?" Yamato asked, Sasuke looked to her concerned.

"I'm ok," she commented back, "just pain."

"Here," Yamato walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders, "sit." He was planning on leading her over to a bench. Before he could even move her, he was blasted with a gush of air that forced him back ten feet. He was shocked and disorientated from the sudden attack.

"No…" Yukino muttered, her hands flying to grab her head. The pain on her sides was burning and rapidly spreading across her body. She had to get it under control.

Yamato was prepared for the worst. His hands started moving rapidly, forming hand signs.

Sasuke beat him to it, he had walked up through the wind and grabbed Yukino's arm a bit forcefully, "sit." He had led her to the bench and got her to sit down.

"Thanks…" the wind had died down as the pain receded. "Sorry Yamato-san."

"Don't worry about it," Yamato commented, dropping his hands mid-hand formation. He walked over closer to the pair, "does this happen often?"

"I don't know what came over me," Yukino commented, lowering her head into her hands. She didn't want to look up at either of them. "I was just thinking about what was going to happen to us when I started to panic. The next thing I knew I was in pain…"

"Don't think about that stuff then," Sasuke commented coldly.

Yukino clenched her eyes shut. Sasuke didn't make things easier when he was acting cold and distant like this. It was worse than when they had first graduated the academy.

"Don't worry," Yamato tried to calm her. "Kakashi-san will heal soon and your marks will be sealed. Then you two can become Shinobi for the village again and go on missions just like you used to."

"Do you really think so Yamato-san?"

"Yes."

"Good," Yukino had looked up now and was smiling.


	10. Starting

After the group had dinner, they went to one of the training fields.

"What are we doing out here, Yamato-San?" Yukino asked.

"We'll be sleeping out here." He responded.

"What?" She asked loudly, "how?"

"Just watch," Yamato said as he started moving his hands. He put them to the ground and suddenly a huge house started forming itself out of branches and wood.

Yukino and Sasuke both stared at the large building that had appeared before them. Yamato entered first, and the two of them followed shortly behind. There were dual staircases that lead upstairs. Once they got up, they saw a large open room.

"We'll be sleeping in here tonight." Yamato explained.

"Whatever," Sasuke said as he walked to a far wall. Right away he lied down with his back to the room.

Yamato stayed near the door and sat down against the wall.

Yukino looked around the room nervously, unsure of where to sleep. She decided to try to sleep as far away from Yamato and Sasuke as she could. It was the only thing she could think of.

Yamato was the first to wake in the morning. He didn't get much sleep over night, having to keep an eye on the two in the room. Sasuke didn't even move a muscle; so he wasn't one of concern.

He was more worried at how Yukino would react when she awoke. After watching them back at the hospital; he knew how she awoke when strangers were around. And he was definitely a stranger.

He stretched noiselessly as he watched her flip over again, muttering in her sleep. She had tossed and turned all night; crying for most of the night. He remembered his own time as Orochimaru's experiment and shuddered. It wasn't pleasant.

Sasuke was lying awake. He had been up since Yukino's last outburst of tears. He hated himself for just letting her lie alone, crying. With Yamato still in the room with them, however, there wasn't more he could do.

He made sure to stay still as he felt Yamato move on the other side of the room. Yukino had flipped again and was muttering: it was better than crying. He should probably wake her.

He turned over and stood up quickly. After walking over to the sleeping girl, he shook her gently. "Yukino."

Yukino stretched and rubbed at her eyes. "Morning Sasuke…" she said slowly. She sat up and looked around, spotting Yamato on the other side of the room, "Good morning Yamato-San."

"Good morning you two," he greeted them both.

Sasuke had already stood back up after waking her. "What are we going to do today?" Yukino had asked as she stood up. As she did, the top of her head had hit Sasuke's chin. Hard.

She fell back to the ground as she clutched the top of her head, "OUCH!"

"Ouch…" Sasuke had said at the same time, reaching for his chin. Head-on-head collisions never went over well. He rubbed it for a moment before creating distance between the two of them.

"Sorry…" Yukino muttered as she finished rubbing her head as she stood back up.

Yamato held back a chuckle, "We'll just see what the day brings us."

The trio left the house and walked back into the village. After having a small breakfast they wandered the streets again. They weren't left doing that for long, however.

"Yamato-Taichō!" Naruto had run up to the group, "Kakashi-Sensei is better and can start my training! But he said that you have to be there too!" He was excided, like always.

"Alright Naruto," Yamato sighed. "Guess you guys get to watch Naruto train."

"What?" Yukino asked, "Isn't that usually something that you don't want people watching?"

"Yes, usually, but you guys have to stick with me; and I need to oversee Naruto's training."

"Really? They get to be there too?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Just like old times!" Yukino said, just as excited.

Sasuke, who was interested at the start, now could care less. Everyone was too excited about training.

The four then left for a new training ground and meet Kakashi-Sensei there. Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato walked a bit away and started talking as Sasuke and Yukino were left back.

The two of them sat on the grass to watch. "This might be fun." Yukino commented.

"Yea." Sasuke responded simply.

She turned to him, "you ok?"

"If Kakashi is well enough to train Naruto, then he should be able to seal your marks."

She turned to look down at the grass. He spoke only of her, but what about himself? '_Is he planning on leaving again?_' "It looks like he is just talking to Naruto, so nothing that strenuous."

Sasuke responded by grunting deeply.

"He will do it when he can Sasuke; then he can seal both of our curse marks."

Nothing from Sasuke at that, "you do want to stay, right?"

Silence followed her question. She wrapped her arms around her knees before her as she looked up and watched the wind play with the grass. "If you go, I will just follow you again."

Still nothing.

"You know I will. We've been through too much together. I won't let you be alone."

"I have a mission."

"To kill Itachi right? Then let me help you."

"You can't, this doesn't involve you."

Yukino stood up quickly and stood before him, "Yes it does! Don't say it's because I'm not family. I lived with your family for so long that it's like…I mean what am I to you Sasuke?"

He was silent as another gust of wind blew through the clearing. Suddenly the earth rumbled as the pair looked out again at the trio. Yamato was standing on a large shelf of earth that was rising up into the air.

"What the?" Yukino asked aloud.

Roaring sound was heard next as water started flowing over the rock, creating a waterfall. Trees started growing out of the side of the new cliff.

"Yamato-San did that?" she asked again, "But isn't wood an exclusive type of jutsu?"

Sasuke was now more interested in the scene before them. It looked like everyone had gone back to talking.

"What's going on over there?" Yukino asked aloud.

Kakashi and Naruto had created clones of themselves and a pair started walking off towards the woods.

After a bit more of time passed Naruto shouted loudly, "You get to treat at Ichiraku Ramen, Kakashi-Sensei!"

Yukino giggled, "Naruto."

Sasuke watched intently, hoping to catch some secret to Naruto's training. Also, this way he looked distracted so he wouldn't have to answer Yukino's question. He wasn't ready for that - yet.


	11. Watching

Kakashi-Sensei, Yamato-San, and Naruto were talking over by the waterfall. Yukino looked to Sasuke who looked interested in what they were talking about. She looked back at the group. She didn't care as much about Naruto's training; but Sasuke and Naruto had been rivals since the academy.

Something was happening now. Yamato had moved back towards the waterfall and sat down on the ground. It was too far away to see what he was doing exactly. Suddenly a circle of wooden fox-like candles came up from the ground; standing about 5 feet tall. Yamato was extending his right arm out towards Naruto and Kakashi.

"What?" Yukino asked, it seemed to be the popular word for her today.

Sasuke ignored her, not on purpose. He was actually interested in what Naruto was about to do. Suddenly Naruto did his clone jutsu, creating thousands of copies of himself. They all rushed a single tree and before another second could pass; the tree was bare of all its leaves.

The Narutos all spaced themselves out and held their closed hands before them. Shouting out loud, they were concentrating on doing something.

A half hour passed, still nothing changed in the training.

Sasuke chuckled to himself. He realized now what Kakashi was trying to teach him. Naruto would never learn the change in chakra nature, even with all of his clones.

Yukino turned to him, "What is Naruto doing?"

One of the Naruto ran over to Kakashi now and they were talking. After a few minutes that Naruto ran off someplace. He seemed excited. The rest of the Naruto were still doing the same thing as before.

"Kakashi is trying to teach Naruto the change in nature for chakra." He finally explained.

"Chakra change in nature?" Yukino was a little lost.

Before Sasuke had a chance to explain it, all the Narutos stopped what they were doing to look at one another. "OH I get it!" they all explained as they went right back into training.

"Everyone has a chakra nature; which is one of the elements." Sasuke started explaining. It seemed nothing new would be happing with Naruto for awhile. "There's water, fire, wind, lightning, and earth. Everyone has at least one type, and higher shinobi have two or more. Each element is strong against one other element, and is weak as well against another element."

He continued, "It goes in a circle. I have fire element; so if one of my fire jutsu was going against someone's water jutsu, I'd have a higher chance at loosing. I'd have the upper hand against someone using wind jutsu."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Yukino agreed.

Before they could get onto another subject, all the clones disappeared leaving the original Naruto. Kakashi was there quickly and caught the teen before he could fall. Yamato sighed as he relaxed.

Naruto stirred right away and looked to be yelling at Kakashi. Kakashi just went back to his book as Naruto made his copies again and went back to training.

The Narutos all trained for an hour, seeming to actually make progress. The clones disappeared again as the original was left. Again Naruto had passed out and was about to fall. And yet again, Kakashi was there with his back to catch the teen. Yamato relaxed again, but got back into position as Naruto stood back up and was at it again.

The third time was a charm. After shouting "We did it!" loudly and returning to the original, Naruto collapsed yet again. This time Kakashi carried him over to a nearby tree and placed him under it. Yamato relaxed, and actually left the circle of candles and walked over.

"Come on," Sasuke said as he stood up. Yukino followed him over to the group.

"He should be out for awhile," Kakashi explained.

"So what's with all the clones?" Yukino asked, "Isn't Naruto just wasting chakra?"

Kakashi chuckled, "It's a form of training only Naruto can do. He believes he has to catch up to Sasuke."

"Catch up?" Yukino questioned him, "Is Sasuke really that much stronger than him?"

Sasuke actually gave the group one of his cocky half-smiles.

"I don't know, but Naruto seems to think so." Kakashi answered.

Before anything more could be said, Naruto was waking up. "I did it Kakashi-Sensei!"

"You're ready for the next step." Kakashi turned to his student, "The next step will be to use your wind chakra to cut that." He pointed over to the waterfall Yamato had made hours previously.

Yamato sighed as he walked back over to his circle. After creating a bridge between two trees for Naruto, he re-extended his arm towards the waterfall. Ready to resume training; he did know Naruto after all.

Naruto was excited again. He ran towards the waterfall, taking off his jacket on the way. After creating nine clones, they jumped up onto the bridge and started working.

Yukino had to pull herself back from watching Naruto, "Kakashi-sensei, how can you cut water?"

He leaned up against the tree and pulled out his book once again. "It takes a good control of chakra and change in nature."

"Oh, that again." Yukino complained. She had learned enough for one day. She joined Sasuke under the tree where Yamato had made a wooden bench.

After a few more hours of training, Naruto stopped and turned towards the group. "Kakashi-sensei!" he was complaining. "Wouldn't it be faster if I used more clones?"

Kakashi just looked over to Yamato, who sighed in return. He retracted his hand and did a few signs. Afterwards; the waterfall grew ten times its original size, and along with that so did the bridge. Afterward Yamato was struggling to catch his breath. Kakashi failed to notice his strain.

"Keep up the good work, Yamato-San!" Yukino cheered the poor guy on from the sidelines. He turned around to give her a thumbs-up before sticking his arm out towards Naruto again.

Naruto created more clones, and went back to training.


	12. Visitors

Sasuke and Yukino decided to give Naruto and his teachers their space. They walked back to their original spot and sat down. Yukino, after a few minutes, fell onto her back on the grass.

Sasuke sat there, still watching Naruto's training. It seemed that he wasn't making the same progress as he was earlier.

Sakura, followed by Sai walked over to the pair. "Yukino, Sasuke!" Sakura said happily.

Sasuke just grunted a response. "Hello Sakura," Yukino greeted her properly. She sat up to meet their guests.

"Oh, this is Sai." Sakura introduced him to the pair.

"Hello," he greeted them in a monotone.

"He's training really hard, isn't he?" Sakura asked, looking to the waterfall now.

"Yea, he's been at it for awhile now," Yukino answered her.

"Hopefully he isn't overworking himself," Sakura commented.

"It's Naruto," Yukino commented, looking to the waterfall now as well, "He's going to keep practicing until he blacks out again."

"Wait…again?"

"Mhmm" Yukino muttered.

"That's so Naruto. It's a good thing I made him these then," she set a basket full of black balls down on the grass.

"What are these?" Yukino asked, looking into the basket.

"My special food pills, if Naruto eats one he should be able to train for hours."

"How nice of you!"

"Anything to help," She smiled.

The four of them were silent for a bit before Sakura spoke up again, "guess we should leave Naruto to his training." She looked at Sasuke now but he didn't seem interested in her at all.

"Mmm," Yukino didn't know what else to tell the teen.

"Hope to see you again," Sai said randomly.

The two teens walked back into the forest towards town. Yukino stood up, grabbing the basket.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke finally spoke since the two first showed up.

"Giving these to Kakashi-Sensei. Then he can give them to Naruto." Yukino walked over to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, Sakura just dropped these food pills off for Naruto. They are supposed to help him."

"How nice of her," he turned to the waterfall, "Naruto come on down for a minute."

"What?" Naruto called down has his clones disappeared. Before he could come down he fell to his knees.

"Are you ok Naruto?" Yukino called up to him, concerned.

Naruto had gotten back up and jumped down by the two. "Yea Yukino, I'm fine!"

"Sakura brought these for you," Kakashi explained.

"Sakura-chan? Really?" Naruto looked excited as he dove his hand into the basket. He popped one of the black balls into his mouth. Suddenly his face lost all its color and his eyes grew large. He fell once again to his knees.

"Naruto?" Yukino called loudly. Sasuke had gotten up now and walked over to them.

Naruto swallowed hard, "what did Sakura-chan put in these?" He shook himself, "doesn't matter – back to training." And before anyone could say anything he jumped back onto the waterfall and went back to training.

Yamato struggled to put up his hand in time before Naruto started again. Kakashi looked to the two near him. "Yamato, do you think you can handle Naruto on your own for a few hours?"

"What?" Yamato called, not taking his eyes off of his subject.

"I think this would be a good time to work on Sasuke and Yukino here." Kakashi explained.

Yamato just nodded his head in response.

"Come on you two," Kakashi started walking back to the village. Sasuke followed him right away.

Yukino stood there confused for a minute. "What…" She ran to catch up to them.

"I'm going to reseal your curse marks." Kakashi explained simply.


	13. Sealing

**_I just want to take this time to thank Soprano-In-Waiting for being my editor for this chapter. It really helps with my spelling mistakes and such. Thank you so much! Hopefully I should have another update by the end of the weekend since I have a free day! Thanks, too, to you my readers! Without you I really wouldn't have a story at all! So thanks!_**

* * *

Kakashi had led Sasuke and Yukino back into the village and deep into an underground room. It was the same room as the last time. Kakashi turned around once the two teens got in and locked the door. "Who's going first?"

Yukino looked to Sasuke quickly, fear filling her entire body. She was afraid of the pain; but she was more afraid that Sasuke would disappear while she was out.

"How about Yukino goes first, since I'll need Sasuke's help to seal both of your curse marks anyways." He explained as he held out a long cloth to her.

"Please sit down; this will take a few minutes. Stay very still." Kakashi had the same ink that he had used years ago. He started writing the spells from the curse marks out over her body and over the floor.

"Sasuke, use your sharingan and copy my movements exactly or this won't work." Kakashi said seriously. "We could end up making things worse for her."

Yukino started to panic as her body started fidgeting. She wasn't so sure that she wanted to be sealed anymore. If things could get worse than they already were…

"Right." Sasuke's eyes turned red and black as the sharingan was activated.

Kakashi stood on the left as Sasuke was on the right. Yukino tried to take a deep breath to calm herself. She remembered how long she was out before; she had awoken after the Chunin exams were over with. With two...who knew how long she'd be out this time?

"You'll still be here right?" she asked without looking at him.

Sasuke was silent, Kakashi spoke up for him. "Don't worry Yuki; I won't let him go anywhere." The soft reassurance in his voice and the calm in his eye helped her to let go of _that_ worry.

She nodded once, showing that she was ok and ready. They started their hand signs and then put their hands on her sides. Both of their hands were warm with chakra as she could feel the sealing spells pull up her body. She winced as the pain started light and grew. She bit her lip to keep herself from screaming out.

After what seemed like hours, Yukino was starting to lose consciousness. She took one last look at Sasuke before she fell into the world of darkness.

Kakashi caught the girl and placed her on a stone bench that was against a wall. He slowly turned around, expecting to see Sasuke heading for the door. He was surprised to see him calmly waiting in the circle.

"Right," Kakashi commented as he proceeded to put the seal on Sasuke's shoulder. After the hand signs, Kakashi placed his hand on Sasuke's mark.

Sasuke could feel the seal moving up his body, but he didn't flinch. He was in immense pain; but it had to be nothing compared to what Yukino went through. He tried to ignore the encroaching darkness as the end of the sealing neared. He couldn't fight it any longer as he succumbed to it.

Kakashi caught Sasuke as he slumped over and moved him by the sleeping Yukino. With the help of one of the Medical core, the two were moved back into the hospital, this time into a room with two beds. When the two were finally laid there, the door was locked; ANBU once again watching the entrance. Kakashi went back to the training filed to help Naruto and Yamato.

Yukino awoke to a bright white ceiling. She sat up in bed, letting the blankets fall off of her. To her right, she could see the darkening twilight sky through the window. _'How long was I out?'_ she asked herself. She continued looking around the room. There was a small table with a clipboard; probably her medical records. An empty bed was just to the left of her own; its bedding was neat and clean. There was the door to the bathroom, to the hall, and an empty chair on the other side of the room.

No Sasuke.

Yukino's mind kicked into overdrive as depressing thoughts circled inside. Sasuke probably left right after she blacked out. Left…and gone back to Orochimaru. She'd have to find a way out of here and back to one of the hideouts and hope that they would be there. If they weren't…

"Yukino!" Sakura called the teen.

"Hua?" she questioned her, snapping out of her thoughts.

"How are you feeling?"

Yukino never stopped worrying about Sasuke enough to realize her own state. She moved her arms and legs, no pain. "Really good actually!"

"That's good," Sakura was writing things down on the clipboard. "Any pain or discomfort?"

"Nope." Yukino answered quickly.

"So it worked then," Sakura commented.

"Yea, Kakashi-Sensei and Sasuke did a good job." Yukino looked to the door; it was shut again – _no Sasuke_.

"You know, I'm a bit jealous of you," Sakura whispered in a soft, pained voice. She was still looking down at the paperwork, but the pen stopped moving.

"What?"

"He never left your side, not once."

Yukino was confused. No one was here now; who was Sakura talking about? Her heart wanted it to be about Sasuke; but her mind knew better…

"It took Lady Tsunade herself to drag him down to eat something other than hospital food."

"Who?" Yukino's heart was pounding faster by the second.

"What do you have that none of us have? I mean why does he give you special treatment? You two were always inseparable even back at the academy…" Sakura's jealousy and resentment was starting to leak into her voice.

Yukino knew for sure who Sakura was talking about now. "He didn't leave the village? He's still here?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't he be?"

Yukino was beaming as she bounced out of bed. She grabbed Sakura's hands as she jumped up and down, "he didn't go! He didn't go! He didn't go!"

Sakura looked on the girl as if she had gone crazy. Once Yukino released her hands she stumbled backwards a bit. "Relax Yukino; you've been out for almost a week. You probably shouldn't be jumping around like that."

"What?" Yukino shouted, shocked at the news.

"Yes, you heard me. A week. You should still say put and rest." Sakura had replaced the clipboard on the table and was now trying to steer the overly excited teen back into bed.

"Just relax; they should be back soon enough." Sakura told her.

"Are you sure?" Yukino asked, she failed to hide the hope in her voice.

"Yes." Sakura replied as she shut the door behind her.

Yukino sat on her bed towards the door; awaiting Sasuke's return.


	14. Excluded

Thanks to Phantom, Soprano-in-Waiting, and Mokimo for being my editors!

* * *

The door opened as Sasuke walked through. Yukino got up quickly; jumping the empty bed, and ran into him; almost knocking him down.

"Sasuke!" she cried out. She wrapped her arms around the man before her.

He hugged her back briefly before pushing her off, "Yuki." He looked the girl over.

"I'm ok Sasu…" she answered his probing eyes softly, "I'm not in any pain or anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Giving him another beaming smile. They stood that way in a comfortable silence for a bit before Yukino spoke up again, "so what are we supposed to do now?"

"The Hokage had told me that we should see her once you were awake and feeling up to it."

"Then let's go!"

The two of them left the hospital room. Tsunade had walked Sasuke to the doors of the hospital and headed for her office. Tsunade welcomed them in right away.

"How do you feel, Yukino?" She questioned her.

"I feel really good actually. No pain or anything!"

"And you feel…normal?"

"I guess so, why?"

"Never mind," Tsunade said quickly, her eyes were on Sasuke when she said that.

"Is there anything we can do?" Yukino asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we are Shinobi of the Leaf; so we should help by going on missions and things like that…" Yukino's voice grew quieter as she finished.

Before Tsunade could respond, the door flew open as three troubled and somber shinobi entered. The one in the center was Shikamaru. Yukino and Sasuke quickly moved to the side of the room, leaving the newcomers room to come closer.

Yukino tried to edge towards the door. This looked like something they shouldn't listen in on.

"Report." Tsunade said in her official voice.

"We failed. The ones called Hidan and Kakuzu got away." The guy on the left said tonelessly.

The Hokage's voice cracked with her next words, "Where is Asuma Sarutobi?"

"He…"

Tsunade slammed her fist into her desk as she lowered her head. He didn't make it.

The spiky-haired shinobi on the right spoke up, "Um…for Kurenai-San…"

Tsunade looked up at the squad. Her face was full of pain and sorrow. "You all can go tell those involved about the funeral…I'll tell Kurenai…"

Shikamaru finally spoke up, cutting her off. "No…I'll tell her. There's a message from Asuma-Taichou as well, so…"

"Alright," was all she could respond with. The team bowed and left the room.

Yukino and Sasuke were still in the room, and were feeling awkward. Yukino didn't know what to do now; after watching that. She couldn't just go and ask more of the Hokage at a time like this. "Ah…we'll just be going now…" she tried to slip towards the door.

"Wait." Tsunade said with a little anger in her voice. "The elders won't want you near the funeral. You two will have to stay back in the village."

"What?" Yukino was about to start up, but Sasuke grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Right." He answered simply. He went for the door, pulling Yukino roughly behind him.

After walking for awhile Yukino finally pulled her arm from his grip. She was stopped in the middle of the street. "What are you doing Sasuke?"

"We didn't belong there; this is the Leaf's time to mourn." He kept his back to her.

"But were members of this village too!" Yukino was angry and it was just pouring out now.

"Yukino." Sasuke tried to calm her down. "They still don't trust us. It's better to keep us away from a large group of people."

"They would all be Shinobi, so if something were to happen it would be best to be there…" Yukino was starting to calm down. "I mean I understand everything…it's just…"

Sasuke put his hands in his pockets, and started to walk off. Yukino stood there for a moment before running to catch up with him. The two of them walked until they reached one of the empty training fields.

They stood quietly at the edge of the training field under the cover of the trees. Yukino was sitting against of the trees watching Sasuke's back. He was just standing there. '_What is he thinking?_'

She bit her lip as she quietly observed him. She became more and more irritated as she tried to come up with ideas. She wanted to do something; say something, but nothing she was coming up with seemed good enough. Knowing Sasuke, he'd just brush her off again.

She sighed loudly as she leaned her head against the tree. She was tired already; it had been a long day. She looked up at the darkening sky as she closed her eyes. "Goodnight Sasuke," she muttered as she drifted off.


	15. Melting Snow

Sasuke awoke to a bright light shining in his eyes as the sun peeked over the tree line. He looked to the still sleeping girl nearby. Even with the bright light she was still sleeping. He smirked at the sight; it was one trait that she shared with Naruto.

He shook himself; why was he thinking of such sentimental times? He shouldn't be worrying about things like that. The only thing he needed to care about was revenging his clan – by any means necessary.

Yukino. Yukino. Yukino. She kept popping up in his mind. The first time he saw her come back after her family suddenly disappeared; she was so ragged, tired, and starving. All those times that she was right at his side; from when his clan was murdered through all the missions they went on. Even when Sasuke left for Orochimaru, she was always with him.

'_What's her deal anyways? It's not like I asked her to follow me around like a lost puppy.'_ He thought angrily to himself. He remembered all those times that he fell back onto her. She may not have helped all that much when it came to fighting, but she was always there for him as a friend.

He got up and started to walk away from the sleeping girl. He was halfway across the training field before he started to feel his heart try to pull him back. He mentally shook himself from that train of thought. He wasn't supposed to have any bonds – and yet…

He turned around and crossed his arms as he glared back at the sleeping girl. Why did she pull him like this? He did care about her, even though he shouldn't. As a friend – or something more?

He was left pondering for awhile. Somehow he found himself back near Yukino. When did he start walking anyways? She was still fast asleep as the sun rose higher in the sky. He crouched down near her, pondering if he should wake her or not. She really hadn't been able to get this peaceful of sleep since before they ran off to Orochimaru; maybe it had been even longer.

He was actually feeling…hurt. He didn't know how she was feeling or what she was thinking. He couldn't even come up with any ideas of what Yukino might even be dreaming about. There was a part of him that wanted to know, when the other part wanted nothing to do with her.

He just continued to sit there, watching Yukino sleep. He didn't know how much time had actually passed before she awoke. "Morning sleepy head," the words came out before he could stop them.

Yukino rubbed her eyes, "Eh, morning Sasu…" she yawned loudly.

Sasuke had to hold down a blush, Yukino was definitely something when she first woke.

"Hmm?" Yukino asked sleepily, she still wasn't fully awake yet.

Two things were going through Sasuke's head. Just to turn around and give Yukino the cold sholder, or to start a conversation. The question was – which to do? Before he could stop himself; his heart had made a decision.

"How did you sleep?"

She smiled sweetly and sincerely, "I slept well actually; what about you? How long have you been up?" She was waking more now.

"Fine, not that long," he answered simply. His head was winning now.

"Oh," she replied, a little saddened. She got up and stretched. "It's really a beautiful morning isn't it?"

"Yea," Sasuke responded, now he was the one on the ground looking up at Yukino.

Yukino had skipped out into the middle of the training field and turned around. "So what's up for today Sasuke?"

A person in black with silver armor and an animal mask quickly appeared behind her. "Yuki!" He didn't have time to move before they knocked her out; slinging her over their sholder. Sasuke saw black just moments after feeling someone hit him on the neck.


	16. Mission

Yukino awoke abruptly and searched the room. She was back in the familiar hospital room; Sasuke was still sleeping next to her. The last thing she remembered was turning to look at Sasuke in the middle of the training field. So how did she end up here?

Someone had knocked her out, she remembered now. The door opened up to reveal Shizune walking through. "You're awake."

"What happened? How long have I been out?" Yukino asked quickly.

"Lady Tsunade had the ANBU collect you and Sasuke. You two had to be watched over while the funeral was taking place. However you two stayed out for longer than we expected."

"What's going on?" Yukino asked angrily.

"Lady Tsunade…" Shizune never had the chance to finish.

Yukino jumped out and ran to Sasuke's bedside. She shook him violently, ignoring Shizune's words. "Sasuke, wake up already."

"Wha?" he questioned her, he snapped awake and looked around.

"Come on," Yukino pulled him from the bed and towards the door. She threw it back open and ran out of the room towards Tsunade's office with Shizune following close behind.

"Tsunade-Sama!" Yukino yelled angrily as she stormed into her office.

"Yukino? Sasuke?" she questioned the teens, "Shizune what is going on?"

"Ah, well, you see M'lady…" Shizune started blubbering.

"What's been going on? I don't get it!" Yukino asked loudly. The two behind her looked completely confused.

"You two have been out for almost two days. I sent Team 10 with Kakashi leading them to fight two Akatsuki members. Team 7 just left about two hours ago as back-up."

"Send us as extra backup!" Yukino demanded. "We haven't attacked the village or anything, our curse marks are sealed, and we are members of the Leaf just like everyone else!"

"Calm down Yukino," Sasuke muttered in her ear.

She took a deep breath at his words. "Please, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade bit her lip as she looked to each person in the room. She sighed, "Fine – they went to the Naru's Land. Go if you want."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Yukino bowed quickly and ran out of her office. Sasuke sighed as he followed her out at his own pace.

Within a few minutes they reached the Konoha main gate. They started running once they got out of the village limits. They had been running for about an hour playing catch-up.

"That's weird," Yukino started a conversation as they were on their way.

Sasuke just made an audio sound as a response.

"I can…almost sense…the others…"

"What?"

"The wind, it feels different ahead. I can feel a massive amount of chakra in the air and its swirling around." She changed her direction a bit, "this way."

They had continued on for a bit in silence again. "This area…" Yukino had slowed down, "looks familiar…" She stopped now looking around. She couldn't put her finger on it but something did seem familiar.

Sasuke stopped now too. He remembered this area well. This was the area they passed through on one of the first hideout change. Yukino was out of it since she just had been injected the first time by Kabuto.

Maybe this was his chance? Sasuke turned towards Yukino, his face almost looked sad. "Yuki…"

"What is it Sasuke?" she asked. Before she could say another word she felt Sasuke appear behind her. He had said one word to her, "Sorry." Her vision went dark.

Sasuke caught her before she could fall to the ground. "I'm sorry Yuki, but this is something I have to do." He placed her against a tree in a spot easy to see. Hopefully the guys from the Leaf would spot her on their way back and take her home with them. He turned his back and sprinted off.


	17. Orochimaru

Sasuke had stopped a few feet from a Cliffside. This was one of the hideouts that Orochimaru had previously used, so the likeliness that he would go back to it was slim. He couldn't pass up the chance, however. He went quietly inside the hideout and went down hallway after hallway.

He stopped around one corner and backed up. He heard footsteps, a door close, and more footsteps. The sound grew more distant as they walked farther down the hall. Now was his chance. He walked down the hall to find a single door.

Sasuke created a sword from his chidori and pierced the wall. Afterward, his other hand filled with chirping lightning as he destroyed the door.

Orochimaru was sitting up in bed with the lightning sword through his wrists. He had managed to barley deflect the attack, "Sasuke your back… just as I thought….it's come to this"

Sasuke was cocky, "there's nothing left for me to learn from you." It took everything he had to resists using his curse mark. "And I owe you for something," he pushed the chakra blade further into Orochimaru's arm, and into the wall. "Orochimaru, you're weaker than me."

"Such talk…for a little Uchiha chick," the snake hissed.

"Heh…if I wasn't a little chick you wouldn't have been able to get me, right?" Sasuke smirked as he took another step closer towards his target. "Couldn't get Itachi, so you settled for me, right? The genius that was one of the Legendary Sannin. But you were only a genius to the norm of society. You couldn't surpass the Uchiha name; or even get close to it. No matter how much a genius one is, before the Uchiha name they're just ordinary people. You want to get closer to the Uchiha's power so badly. You plan for years, immersing your body with medication and taking over other people's bodies. I don't like your methods. What's your purpose? To unravel the logic of this world or whatever. You've continued to play around with people like toys for such a stupid and selfish reason." '_Yukino.' _ He took another step, creating another chakra blade in his other hand. "You make me sick."

Orochimaru hissed as a large white snake escaped his mouth.

"So that's your true identity, hua?"

The large snake was splitting up into a thousand smaller snakes. They started heading towards Sasuke, all hissing.

"You continued your experiments so that you could move from body to body…and the end result is that appearance."

"Now...Sasuke-kun your body…" The thousand of snakes lunged at him, "give it to me!"

Sasuke easily evaded his attack by turning his body to the side. The snakes turned quickly to come attack him at the side. He spun, swinging his sword around cutting the heads off all the snakes at once.

Orochimaru in snake form approached with twenty smaller snakes coming out of his mouth. Sasuke put his sword away, resisting using his curse mark again. He charged up his chidori, destroying the snakes in one attack.

"Sasuke!" Orochimaru yelled out, charging Sasuke with his main body.

Using chidori Sasuke cut up the large snake, slicing the head off. "That's it? How disappointing…" Before he could do anything else, he fell to his knees.

"It's starting to kick in, I see. The body fluids from this giant white snake vaporize when exposed to air. It's a numbing poison. I cannot be destroyed. You can't kill me with your insignificant jutsus." Orochimaru laughed evilly. "Now...I'll take you!" The large white snake lunged once again at Sasuke.

A flash of color jumped between the two fighters, grabbing Sasuke and moving him to the side.

"Yukino?" Sasuke pushed himself from her grasp and turned back to his opponent.

"I…followed you here," Yukino fell to one knee, her body was already feeling numb. "I was afraid you were…going…back…" Her body was tingling as she fell onto her hands.

"She's still alive?" Orochimaru looked on the scene, the gears turning in his head. "If I can't have you, then I will just take HER!" The large snake then lunged towards her.

Sasuke took one step before her and slashed again at the snake.

Orochimaru fell to the ground¸ he was unable to complete the ceremony. "Damn you..Sasuke…"

Yukino was confused, she tried to lift herself up, "You're not..."

"No. He had to pay for what he put you through." Sasuke responded seriously. He picked Yukino up gently and carried her out of the room.

As he carried her down the hall, they ran into Kabuto. He looked at the pair, half confused and half in shock. "Sasuke? Yukino?"

Sasuke ignored him and continued down the hall. Yukino had peeked around his body looking back at Kabuto.

"Does that mean?" he looked panicked as he turned and ran towards the room with white smoke spilling out.

After a few minutes the duo had made it out of the compound. Sasuke put Yukino down carefully on the ground, "are you ok?"

She stood up, supporting herself next to a tree, "more importantly are you ok? You just fought Orochimaru!"

"Not even a scratch." He responded confidently before falling to his knees, his hand flying up to his cursemark.

"Sasu?" Yukino wasn't able to finish before she fell to her own knees. She wrapped her arms around her torso trying to keep herself together. Her body felt as if it was on fire – what was happening?

A few minutes passed in silence as they kneeled in pain. Sasuke was the first to get up, removing his hand, "Yukino, are you alright?" He walked over next to her.

"Yea…" She stood up on her own without support. A confused look was on her face as she moved her arms around, "I'm not in pain anymore! Here Sasuke." She shifted his shirt to look, "it's gone!"

"What?" Sasuke looked confused himself, his hand feeling his skin.

Yukino lifted her shirt to reveal bare sides, "check mine."

His voice showed how shocked he was, "yours are gone too…"

"So he's dead…" Yukino muttered, "We're free…"

Sasuke just smiled in return to her.

Yukino quickly grabbed Sasuke hand, "come on!"

"Where?"

"Home."


	18. Alone

Thank you Soprano-in-waiting for being my wonderful editor once again

* * *

Yukino rubbed at her eyes as she awoke with the morning light. She sat up, pushing the blankets off before her surroundings shocked her into full awareness. While still a bit groggy, she quickly scanned the room, confirming her first thought. A calm settled over her, letting her mind start working again. This was her old room at the Uchiha's main house.

But when did she get back?

_~Flashback~_

_Sasuke and Yukino walked back to the village after getting out of Orochimaru's hideout. To the two shinobi, the return journey seemed to take longer than it should have. Everything seemed so fresh after being released from the curse; the new freedom stretching their perception of the time passing and enhancing every breath they took, every sight they saw._

_They made it back to the village after the teams had left to fight the Akatsuki members. They went straight to the Hokage's office._

"_Where did you two go?" Tsunade asked, a bit of anger was in her voice._

_Sasuke was silent, leaving Yukino to explain their absence. "We, erm…ran into one of Orochimaru's hideouts on the way to backup the others. He…he tried to take Sasuke's body. He refused, and a fight followed…" she couldn't say a complete sentence. She knew that Orochimaru was once one of Tsunade's teammates. "Once we got out of the base…our curse marks disappeared." _

"_What?" she was shocked. Clearly this was not the answer she had expected. "How?"_

"_He was in pretty bad shape…" Yukino started again, "I think...he…died…"_

_Tsunade sank into her chair, "Are you sure?"_

"_Excuse me?" _

"_The curse marks…"_

_Yukino lifted her shirt enough on one side to reveal clear, spotless skin._

_Tsunade was silent, lost in her thoughts. Her eyes were slightly unfocused, looking past the pair before her at some scene only she could see. _

_Yukino's hand went up and cradled the side of her head, exhaustion and dizziness starting to creep into her consciousness. Glancing at Sasuke, she noticed that he seemed fine. Of course._

"_You two may go home now," Tsunade responded distantly._

"_Home?" Yukino questioned her. What home did she mean?_

_The edges of Tsunade's lips curved slightly upward. "The Uchiha's main house, it's open for you two to go home."_

_~End Flashback~_

Yukino continued to rub the sleep out of her eyes as she looked around the house. She was alone. She had lost him. She didn't have her curse mark anymore; she wasn't connected with him any longer. Sasuke had left. And she didn't have a way to find him.

Her arms wrapped around her torso, where her curse marks used to be. She had had them for so long, it was strange to be free of their influence. She knew who she had been before, but now she was free. Who was she now? She felt lost. Her feet carried her out of the house, through the compound, and into the surrounding town.

She didn't know how long she had been walking, or how far she had gone. She looked about and found herself at the doors of the hospital. She walked in and approached the reception desk.

"Oh, Yukino!" The nurse on duty called to her brightly from behind the counter. "What brings you here?"

Yukino looked right past her without really seeing the woman before her.

"Are you feeling alright?" the nurse asked. The teen's behavior worried her.

Someone walked up behind Yukino, "Good morning, Tsuki!"

"Good morning Sakura," The nurse, Tsuki, responded.

Sakura noticed Yukino, "Oh, are you here to see Naruto too?"

"Naruto?" Yukino questioned her. She was pulled back to reality.

Sakura guided Yukino up to Naruto's room, where they filled her in on the events that had happened while they were gone. She listened to the story of Naruto almost destroying his arm using his almost, but not quite, finished new jutsu against one of the Akatsuki members. He had been awake when they entered and seemed like his normal, bouncy, irritable self.

"You guys really did that?" Yukino asked, a little surprised at all her friends had gone through in such a short span.

"Where were you and Sasuke?" Sakura asked, getting the question out that had been eating at her. "We were told you two were sent out as our back-ups." A hint of anger colored the last, almost twisting it into an accusation.

"We got…" Yukino paused briefly, "distracted."

"Distracted?" Naruto repeated, confusion reigned in his face.

"We got into our own fight," Yukino explained simply. She didn't want to lie to her friends, but she wasn't sure they needed to know everything about their side trip.

"Where is Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was uncharacteristically quiet, and calm.

"I don't know…" Yukino's face fell, "He was already gone when I awoke." The sense of being swept away pulled at her again.

"He didn't go back to Orochimaru…" Naruto started. He looked ready to jump out of bed to chase him down.

Yukino shook her head, "He can't. Orochimaru." She stopped herself from using an honorific, "He's dead."

"What?" the two teens shouted.

Yukino lifted her shirt to show bare sides, proving to the truth of her words to her still shocked friends. "We're free, but I still don't know where he went."

The three teens were quiet for awhile. Soon enough, Yukino was kicked out by the nurses. Sakura was able to fake she was helping Naruto's injury - being a medical ninja came in handy.

Her aimless feet carried her once again around the village. She avoided her empty home as much as possible. As the sun crossed the sky, Yukino found her way towards the Hokage monument. She climbed the steps to the top.

She sat down looking over the village. _'All of the people look like little moving colored dots from up here'_ she thought to herself. It was a nice distraction for a moment from her main problem: Who was Yukino?

She started with the facts. Her chakra type was wind. She was used as a lab rat for Orochimaru. She had been planted in the Uchiha family to help get an Uchiha, namely Sasuke, for her master. She had been a pawn for most of her life, a tool…

She pushed all of that away as she looked within herself. No matter her past, no matter her future; she knew she cared for the people around her. She was still a kunoichi of the Leaf Village.

'_Home._' Yukino decided. '_Even if Sasuke is gone, I always have a home to return to_.' She stood up quickly only to see the world spinning around her. She tried to steady herself by taking a step. The next thing she saw was the Hokage faces zooming past her in a blur. She had walked off the edge of the monument.

She didn't feel any fear. Rather, a strange calm filled her. The air flowing around her, falling closer to earth, it all felt natural. There was no reason to fear the ground. Somewhere inside, she could feel that she wouldn't crash down to earth. She closed her eyes, letting the feeling fill her being.

Within a few short moments, Yukino felt herself fall onto two strong bars. The bars held onto her as she felt herself jump a few times before completely stopping. Someone had caught her. Opening her eyes revealed a swirling world of color.

"Yukino," a familiar male voice questioned her, "What on earth were you doing?"

Her vision steadied as spiky, silver hair came into view, "I stood up and got dizzy, Kakashi-Sensei."

"Are you feeling alright?" he was still concerned as he gently put her down onto her feet.

"Yea, I haven't eaten anything today." She answered a little sheepishly.

"Then let's go get some dinner."

"Together?" Surprise showed on her face.

Kakashi had taken Yukino to a smaller restaurant in the village. They ordered and were waiting for their food.

"Umm, Kakashi-Sensei?"

"Yes?"

"Have you seen Sasuke at all today?"

"No, why?" Curiosity filled what little of his face she could see.

"He wasn't around when I awoke today…" She paused before continuing in a hushed voice, "he can't go back because there isn't anything to go back to."

"He's gone?" His voice turned serious for a moment.

Yukino knew what Kakashi meant, "Yea…"

"I'm sure he's around somewhere," he finally answered her original question. His tone was reassuring, but she still couldn't shake her own worry.

The two ate their food in silence. Kakashi bid her goodbye and left, leaving Yukino to resume her wandering of the village.


	19. Sylph

The sun was starting to set, yet Yukino kept walking around in a daze. She ended up at the training field Team 7 had first met at all those years ago. Now bathed in the warm glow of twilight, the three wooden pillars still stood at one end. She raised her hand to the center pillar. The feel of the wood grain under her fingertips started raising memories to the surface. All the good times with Team 7 were replaying in her head.

'Where did things go wrong?' she questioned herself. She could feel a slight dampness at the corner of her eyes.

'You were living on borrowed time, things were bound to turn eventually,' a smooth voice echoed in her mind.

Alarmed, Yukino swiftly turned around in circles, looking around desperately for the owner of the voice, "Who's there?"

'Keep looking all you want, but you won't find me out there.' A condescending chuckle filled her mind.

"What?" she still spoke aloud. She was starting to panic.

'You are pretty dense, no wonder Sasuke left you.'

"Shut up!" She yelled. Her voice echoing through the trees.

'Aw, did I hurt the little girl's feelings?' The voice taunted her with a mocking baby voice.

"Who are you?" Yukino asked angrily. This entity was seriously getting on her nerves.

'You won't find me out there, I said that before.' The slightly feminine voice pointed out, sounding slightly exasperated at having to explain again.

"Then where are you?" The kunoichi asked through gritted teeth. A tiny suspicion raised it's head at the back of her mind.

'I'm inside you, I AM you.'

"What?" Yukino closed her eyes and looked deep within. Before her stood a perfect copy of herself, although the look on the other's face was more cocky and haughty than her own.

"Hello, Yukino," the copy's voice was similar in timbre to her own, but the way the user wielded it was completely different; sharper and more self-confident, with a biting edge of arrogance.

"There's no way…"

"That I'm you?" The clone interrupted with a smirk. "Oh, it's very true, although I'm only borrowing your appearance."

"What? Borrowing?" Surprise crossed Yukino's features.

"You really are slow. My name is Sylph; Lord Orochimaru implanted me inside you when you were just a baby, although that curse mark of his had suppressed me for this long…" Sylph trailed off. She was stretching the form she had, as if to stretch her figurative muscles.

Yukino shook her head furiously in disbelief. That damn bastard... Even in death, he was making her life hell.

"Oh it's very true. I have been leaking out. You know of those times when your memory is blank. Those times you don't remember a reaction, a conversation, a fight…" A slow smile crossed Sylph's face, not quite reaching her half lidded eyes. She started stepping towards Yukino.

"No…" Horror, anger, and denial all fought for dominance in Yukino's consciousness.

"I have been learning to take control. Soon enough…" Sylph was a few steps closer. Yukino could see the mad glint that she was sure she had never seen before in her own eyes.

Yukino cut it off, "What do you want?"

"To have some fun!" Sylph exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air and spinning around, before resuming her stalk to her host. "I have been locked up for so long! I want to create some chaos! I want to see people suffer!"

"NO! I…I can't let you do that…" Yukino couldn't let her do that. She would hurt all her friends, the villagers, Sasuke…

"And what are you going to do about it, little girl?" a grin played across the double's face. The confident, taunting edge was back.

"I can seal you again." Her voice came out low and soft. She was surprised at how confident it sounded.

"Good luck with that, sweetheart." The voice echoed throughout her mind. The body that had been a perfect copy of Yukino started warping and shifting. It started changing colors into a light silvery blue, the same color of the clouds in the sky. The limbs starting reforming themselves; the bones and muscles moving beneath the metallic fur that now covered Sylph's body. The coat itself seemed to move in an invisible breeze, a perfect contrast to the surrounding void. She folded in on herself, shifting onto all fours. Evil looking silver claws glinted from the paws that had formed. "I am Sylph, the wind wolf. You can't control me." It came out on a growl from the muzzle of the giant beast that stood in front of Yukino.

"Watch me," Yukino leaned forward, moving as if in a deep sleep, she smacked her forehead against the wooden post. The wolf before her disappeared as the darkened training field returned.

"Seal…" she muttered as she gripped the wood for support. She had hit her head harder than she thought; it took a bit for her head to stop throbbing, and the world to stop wavering.

"What are you doing?" Kakashi questioned the teen as he approached her. He didn't think he'd find anyone out at this hour at the training field.

"There's someone," Yukino paused for a moment, scared he wouldn't believe her, "in my head."

"What?" He gave the girl a confused look.

She just shook her head as she stood up. "Never mind, forget what I just said. Everything's ok." She said. She tried to cover it up, but her attempts fell so far short of her normal behavior that it caused Kakashi to be even more suspicious of her act.

"No." he said sternly as he grabbed her hand. He dragged her all the way to the hospital. Yukino knew she should be fighting this rough treatment, but she was just so tired of everything right now, and followed limply behind. Sakura was just leaving as the two approached the doors.

"Kakashi-Sensei? Yukino? Why are you two back?" the pink haired teen questioned them.

"Are you just leaving?" Kakashi asked quickly, concern in his voice.

"Yea…" she started.

Kakashi cut her off, "Can you look at Yukino?"

Sakura led them back through the doors. Kakashi waited in the hall while Sakura examined Yukino. Twenty minutes later, Kakashi was let back in to see Yukino sitting in a chair; her hair pulled up into a messy bun on her head. She was looking down at the floor.

"Here, Kakashi," Sakura called over to him. She pointed at the back of Yukino's neck. At the base of her skull, just under the hairline, was a small active seal, barely visible to casual observer. "I've never seen anything like this before." Sakura was baffled by the mark on her friend.

"She's been used by Orochimaru. I was surprised before that nothing else was done to her. Now it makes sense." The silver haired Jounin spat out, mad at himself for not seeing it before.

"Of course," Yukino's voice changed from its normal lilt, her attitude was cocky. "Lord Orochimaru wouldn't let a fully capable body go to waste."

"What?" Sakura asked, shocked at her friend's change.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked, grasping the change at once.

"You know of the seal then, I am Sylph, the wolf of wind!" she declared.

Kakashi's hands were already moving in complex motions, culminating with his right hand on the seal. Sylph screamed out as Yukino's frame started falling lifelessly forward. Kakashi effortlessly caught her before she could fall to the ground.

"What did you do?" Sakura questioned him, worried about the unconscious form in his arms, but also curious.

"I just changed the seal, hopefully whatever that was shouldn't work again. It looked somewhat like a canine summon seal." He explained.

"Oh, and you can summon dogs, so you knew what to do!"

"Mostly," he looked down to the sleeping girl in his arms. "I should take her home."

"Do you need any help?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"No, we kept you here long enough. You were on your way home already, right?"

"Yes…" She started, "But I'd do anything for you…" She stumbled as she quickly tried cover for herself, "I mean that's what good students are supposed to do, right?"

Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow at her before leaving the hospital room.

Sakura smacked her own forehead, '_stupid; that was real smooth._'


	20. Confessions

Thank you again Soprano-in-Waiting for editing (once again). I apologize everyone for the lack of updates on ALL of my stories. Things have been rough lately so it might be a while until the next large set of updates. Again I'm sorry, please bear with me.

* * *

Yukino awoke with a start, and promptly wished she hadn't. Everything from the last day was flooding back. She pulled her knees to her chest and curled up into a ball; her head was pounding. Her palms pushed against her closed eyes.

Shortly she felt someone massaging her head, chasing the pain away. She moaned as her body relaxed. '_Wait….hands?_'

She jolted upright quickly as she realized someone was there with her. Rubbing at her eyes didn't make the scene disappear; Sasuke was sitting before her, his arms still outstretched. He was really there. "Sasuke?" She pounced on him, hugging him tightly as they fell over. "You didn't leave..." she muttered into his chest, tears of happiness soaking into his shirt.

"Yuki," his hand stretched towards her head, before he stopped himself. His heart was torn. On one side, he wanted to keep his distance from everyone; on the other side, she had always been there for him. He stroked the back of her head as he tried to calm her. "It's ok, I'm here now," he spoke softly to her, "I'm sorry."

She continued to cry into his chest for awhile while he just simply held her. Eventually, she finally calmed down.

"Are you ok now?" he questioned her, his voice full of concern.

She wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks as she nodded her head, "I woke up and you were gone. I didn't know where you went, and I didn't know how to find you…"

"I had…things to look into."

He sat up quickly, "What are you talking about?" her voice started to get frantic, "He's gone! We were finally accepted back into the village. We got to come home! What is there…" Her voice trailed off as her mind caught hold of the puzzle pieces, and fit them together. Her face changed from puzzlement to alarm as she realized his intentions.

Sasuke turned his head from her, still lying on his back. He knew she would be able to read the answer on his face.

"No…" she started in disbelief. "Sasu…you just came back! We're free. We have our whole lives ahead of us. Why go do something so…" her words were drowned out by her gasping; she had started hyperventilating.

"I went to Orochimaru for power. It was only a matter of time before I disposed of him anyways. I am an avenger." His voice was calm and even-toned, he was absolutely serious.

"NO!" Yukino shouted as her fist came down on his chest; her head followed. Even with her face buried in his chest her words were still clear as a bell. "You don't have to be! You're not…you're so much more than that Sasuke!"

"Yuki…" His voice was softer now.

"You're kind…and caring…smart…and strong…good looking…" Yukino could feel her face grow warm. She had calmed her breathing as her nerves started up. "You're a shinobi of this village, you have a lot of friends and teachers here…you're my best friend…" It was getting hard to force the words out. She sat up, and looked at Sasuke, who was looking straight back at her. "Sasuke…I…"

He was struck dumb. He knew what was coming, so why was his heart beating so fast? Why were his palms getting sweaty? Why was he so nervous? Was he trying to figure out how to let her down? He started to panic; he didn't know how he really felt. She was important to him, his best friend, the person closest to him…

"I love you." Yukino had finally got her courage up, and spoke the words that had been bottled up for years. She continued to look at him for his response, afraid and yet hopeful of what she might see.  
At her confession, Sasuke's brain shut down. His nerves calmed, although his heart did not. "Yuki…I…"  
Bang….bang….BANG? The loud sound echoed from everywhere around the house. It sounded like there was an earthquake outside, but it wasn't affecting the house at all.

Yukino jumped up in shock and leaned too far sideways, falling off the bed with a thud. Sasuke stifled a laugh as she picked herself up. "Not funny," her face was still red as she stomped to a nearby window. The earthquake was due to the sea of orange clad blondes surrounding the house, all banging loudly on the outer wall.

"Naruto," Yukino called down to him.

They stopped and all looked up to the window. "Yukino!" the clones disappeared as the original Naruto came running around the corner. He leapt up to her small balcony and swiftly entered her window. "Are you feeling better?"

She retreated back to her bed. Sasuke was already off of it and leaning against the footboard. "What?" she questioned the blond.

"Sakura told me you hadn't been feeling good and were under strict bed rest for awhile."

"I just saw you yesterday in the hospital, Naruto." She replied slowly, as her heart sank to her stomach, and her body went cold. Something wasn't right here…

"That was almost two weeks ago already…" his voice was full of skepticism, "I've been healed and out for a week now…"

"No way…" she muttered in disbelief. The last thing she could remember was being in a hospital room with Kakashi and Sakura. "Two weeks?" She squeaked.

"So you're better now?" Naruto asked, ignoring the high pitched question. "Sakura said you were showing improvement. But I couldn't wait any longer! She said Sasuke got back three days ago, but he was stuck inside the house."

Yukino now looked to Sasuke, only to find him looking towards Naruto.

Sasuke was glaring at Naruto. '_Stupid blond and his big mouth!'_ His timing couldn't be worse in the first place; and now he was upsetting Yukino. In her current state…

Naruto broke the stiff atmosphere, "Well, if you're better now, we should all go to Ichiraku together! Just like old times! That's what you wanted before, right Yukino?"

She forced a smile on her face, "Yes!" She pushed her whirling thoughts and feelings away as she skipped out of the room before the two teens could catch her. She could deal with those later, right now; she just wanted some good food with her friends.

The three were on their way to Ichiraku for a timely lunch, when they bumped into a very familiar teacher along the way.

"Yo," Their Jounin-squad leader greeted them.

"Kakashi?" Yukino asked.

"Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked at the same time.

"I need to talk to Sasuke for a bit," Kakashi explained, trying to keep things light, but a serious undertone was apparent to the careful listener. Naruto was oblivious like always; Yukino on the other hand…

Yukino glared at her teacher. She knew there was something important about this talk. Kakashi was avoiding eye-contact now! '_Yep, something's definitely up!'_

"Okay," Sasuke agreed. He followed Kakashi off down a different street.

The two teens continued their trek to Ichiraku, conversing lightly about this and that. They ate their dinner and decided to go to one of Team 7's old haunts to talk some more.

They were headed to their old training ground when Naruto turned to Yukino. His face was serious, "What did he do now?"

"What are you talking about?" She questioned him, trying to throw his curiosity off track.

"I can tell your just putting up a happy front. We've been through enough for me to realize when you're lying. Sasuke was a bit off too." He explained simply.

"How? It's been so long since we were a team…"

"A team's chemistry never dies."

Yukino giggled, "When did you get so mature?"

He put his hands behind his head in typical Naruto fashion, flashing one of his trademark smiles.


	21. Friendship

Kakashi led Sasuke to a small tea shop. Once the waitress left with their order, he got serious, "how is she?"

"It seems to really be Yukino," Sasuke answered simply.

"How was she today?"

"She didn't remember anything, she thought I was only gone a day."

"You're sure she isn't playing this time?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment. Her confession felt genuine, "Yea."

"Hopefully it worked this time."

"You sure you're feeling alright?" Naruto questioned her for the third time.

"Mhmm…." She responded.

"We should go check, just to be sure!" the blond grabbed her hand and started to lead her to the hospital.

"Naruto? Yukino?" Sakura questioned the pair as she saw them approached the medical center.

"See Sakura? She's all better!" Naruto greeted his friend.

"Yukino?" Sakura questioned her.

"What?" Yukino snapped at her. She was tired of everyone questioning and tiptoeing around her.

Sakura was taken aback; she was shocked at Yukino's behavior.

"Naruto, I should probably look over Yukino to make sure she's all better," Sakura was trying to get rid of the blond. "Maybe you should go…"

"Nice try," Naruto got serious, "Something is up. Tell me what's going on."

Sakura looked from one to the other before her, "Naruto, I don't…"

Yukino interrupted her, "We kept something from you before. This time I won't make the same mistake."

The two girls, mostly Sakura, explained to Naruto the situation at hand.

"So Kakashi-Sensei knocked you out, and you were asleep all this time?" Naruto questioned after they were done with the tale.

"I guess," Yukino answered, half-heartedly.

"Well if Yukino is okay you two should probably go. I'm pretty busy here…" Sakura brought up out of nowhere.

"Oh, sorry, Sakura!" Naruto apologized quickly. The two left Sakura to her work and headed back to the Uchiha district.

"That bastard…" Naruto swore under his breath, his outrage just barely controlled.

"What?" Yukino didn't hear what he had said.

"If Sasuke hadn't gotten to him first, I would make sure that monster was dead."

"Naruto…"

"He put you, and Sasuke, through so much. Plus Yamato-Taichou, Anko, and countless others…"

"He's gone, and now the world can return to normal." The words spilled out of her mouth.

Naruto's hand gripped at his shirt over his stomach, "You're not the only one with a monster inside them…"

The two teens were alone on a small street, when Naruto stopped walking. Yukino turned to see what had distracted her whiskered friend.

"I know…what you feel for him…" He informed her with a soft voice.

Yukino was shocked into silence; was it that obvious?

"But if he ever…does anything to upset you, I'll make him pay!" His face was full of a determination and protectiveness that far outweighed his age.

"Naruto, I…" She started.

"We have to stick up for each other, who else will right?"

A smile cracked on Yukino's face as she ran and hugged her blond teammate. "You're like the blond hyperactive brother I never had!"

"Like a wolf-girl would be any better as a sister?" They had started walking again.

"We're a pretty messed up bunch, hua?"

"What?" Naruto questioned the girl.

"Team 7: we're all orphans, two members have monsters inside. One is still bent on revenge…"

"Sasuke?" Naruto was shocked.

"Mhmm," Yukino answered simply.

The duo had made it to the arch leading to the Uchiha district. There leaning against the gateway. A raven-haired teen was waiting for them.

Yukino stopped and bit her lip. She didn't know what was going to happen now between Sasuke and herself after what had happened earlier.

Naruto continued walking up to Sasuke. He pulled his fist back and threw it at Sasuke, who was easily able to dodge it this time.

"What the…?" Sasuke questioned the blond as he effortlessly evaded him.

"You bastard!" Naruto threw another punch. "Stop with that revenge crap already! Can't you see what it's done to you and the people around you already?"

Yukino started to panic. Sasuke and Naruto's little brawl was quickly turning into an actual fight. Her hands were moving before she realized what she was doing. Her feet carried her into the middle of the fight. "STOP!" she screamed, her hands finishing her jutsu. A huge gust of wind came out from her body, pushing the teens away from her, and each other.

"Yuki?" Sasuke asked, after catching his balance.

"Yukino?" Naruto had fallen onto his butt, caught off guard by the jutsu.

"Please…stop fighting…" she begged.

Before the guys could say anything, they were interrupted by a puff of smoke. In the center stood their teacher with one hand in his pocket and the other palm-out up by his face. "Hey guys."

His three students looked at him dumbstruck. When did Kakashi get such perfect timing?

"Seems the old Team 7 has a mission." He announced to the group as he surveyed the scene. "Do I want to know what's going on here?"


	22. Genin

Thanks again to Soprano-in-Waiting for being my wonderful editor.

* * *

"Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto complained loudly. The team had been walking for a few hours already. "Why are we stuck running errands for Grandma Tsunade? Isn't that usually for Genin?"

"Technically, you three are still Genin-level." Kakashi pointed out.

"Our skills outrank Genin. They have for a long time, or at least mine have," Sasuke joined in the conversation.

"My Justus are stronger them yours!" Naruto didn't want to lose.

"Tsk," Sasuke responded, "I chose to let you live back then. I could have finished you off."

"I'm better than I used to be! I could kick your ass right now!" Naruto responded cockily.

"Please…you two, not again," Yukino groaned, sick of their constant rivalry.

"Fine…" Naruto sighed, defeated.

"Fine…" Sasuke replied tonelessly.

Kakashi looked on at his team. They may have grown older, matured just a little, even gotten stronger, but he couldn't help but still see the thirteen-year-old team before him yet. The teamwork he worked so hard on strengthening was still there.

He sighed as he calculated how long they had been walking. There was another side to this mission. He knew that Lady Tsunade had specialized runners who would always make sure she had everything in stock, in case of emergencies. Their "mission" was busy work to keep the genin team occupied. There were rumors of two Akatsuki members being seen in the Land of Fire.

They finally made it to the wall of Tanzuku town. "Should we split up to grab the ingredients?" Yukino suggested.

"We'll do it as a group," Kakashi instructed.

"But wouldn't it be faster for us to split?" Naruto questioned the Jounin.

"Do you know what any of the ingredients are? Or how to pick the correct one?" Kakashi questioned him.

"Well, no," Naruto confessed.

"Then why did they send a full squad when only one person was needed?" Sasuke questioned next, sensing something slightly odd.

"These ingredients are rare and expensive. Thieves could get them." Kakashi explained quickly.

"That makes sense," Naruto agreed. He couldn't disagree with Kakashi's reasoning.

Yukino glanced in Sasuke's direction. She found a slight narrowing of his eyes, telling her that he hadn't bought their sensei's story any more than she had. There was something else going on here. Not finding anything overtly wrong, they went along with the silver haired nin, and started to find the items on their list.

After a few hours they had finally gotten all the ingredients. "We can finally go back!" Naruto sighed in obvious relief, overjoyed to not have to undergo the torture that is shopping, even if it was for medicines.

"Why don't we stay here tonight?" Kakashi suggested, "It would be an improvement to sleeping outside."

"We could just run home," Sasuke pointed out. Something was going on again, and Kakashi was fully aware of it, but even Jounin could be careless when questioned…maybe he could gather more details of why they had to waste so much time.

"We might damage the ingredients," Kakashi had an excuse for anything they might think up.  
Unable to argue any further, they ended up getting two hotel rooms. One for the guys and one for Yukino, since guys and girls couldn't share a room.

Yukino was sitting in her room, alone, looking out at the sunset from her seat by the window. Her mind drifted back to the subjects she had been keeping at bay for awhile.

The one problem had been solved already. Her two week "nap" was explained by Kakashi doing something with the seal on her neck. She could accept that. Seals were tricky things, and sometimes had consequences that the bearer couldn't predict. She, of all people, should know the truth of that.

But why was Sasuke stuck at home when he returned? Her heart skipped a beat as her imagination went into overdrive. '_Maybe Sakura was making an excuse for him. He didn't want to leave my side until I awoke!_'

"_There's no way_,' she told herself. Sasuke never said anything in reply to her confession. Which was almost worse than a rejection. '_He really must not think of me like that_.'

She tried to reason with herself. It would be a bad thing anyways. Emotions weren't good for a Shinobi, especially love. Love, in ordinary circumstances, was irrational and unpredictable. Add to that the danger and unknown life of a Shinobi, and it wouldn't last. It's one of the sacrifices of being a ninja.  
She leaned her head against the window. Her hands covered her heart. '_How do they manage it?_' She tried to block out her feelings, but it was a fight she couldn't win.

"I can help you," a familiar voice echoed in her head.

"What?" Yukino was surprised.

"I can make you forget," Sylph's tempting voice called deep within Yukino's mind.

"You're supposed to be gone," Yukino's voice was full of anger, and slightly shaking.

"I'm locked away, but it doesn't mean I can't still do some things." The voice had lost its taunting edge, but the supreme confidence was still there.

"I like my feelings. It's what make me, me." Yukino argued with the wind wolf.

"Until they're the reason why your comrades die. I've seen it many times before. Lovers get caught in the middle of a fight and one tries to save the other, leaving the rest of their friends to fend for themselves. Everyone dies in the end. Pathetic, really."

"No…" Yukino wasn't about to be tricked.

"At least go for a walk, which might help you clear your mind."

"Why? So you can take control or something?" Yukino was suspicious.

"I can't do anything like that, thanks to those three…" If she didn't know better, she would have sworn she heard an edge of complaint in that smooth voice.

"Wait, who?" Yukino started to question, not quite sure who Sylph was referring to.

"Oh that's right, you wouldn't know. I can see everything you do, but when I'm in control, you're left in the dark." Sylph's voice was cocky. She was enjoying this playtime with her host's mind.

"I don't get what you're saying."

"I was out of my little prison for those two weeks, trying to have a bit of fun. But Kakashi stopped me, and when Sasuke returned they were able to trap me deeper inside you."

"But Sakura said…"

"That chick? She was there constantly with Kakashi; working on 'taming' me."

"But…"

"Why else lie about your being sick? Naruto could see you if you were already knocked out. But if I was running around, what would that do to the demon inside him? They couldn't risk it."

"No…" Yukino tried denying it. Sylph withdrew, leaving the young girl to her tumultuous thoughts.

"Come on, Yukino!" a voice called her from outside in the hall.

She moved her body slowly, it was extremely stiff. Falling asleep against a window: bad. She got her stuff ready and joined her team in the hall.

"You're usually up and ready in the morning when we're out on missions," Naruto pointed out, a little worried, "What's wrong?"

"I fell asleep against the window last night," It was true, to a degree. It had happened, but it was better if they didn't know the details.

"Why did you do something like that?" Sasuke was concerned.

"I was watching the sunset when I fell asleep."

Kakashi eyed her suspiciously. Something didn't ring true in her words. She didn't leave her room at all though, so there were no signs of Sylph having gained control. 'If she doesn't want to tell the truth, it's up to her,'

Kakashi turned to the rest of the squad. "Let's head out."

The team had an uneventful trip back. No thieves, no robbers, nothing. Apparently no one wanted the ingredients they had picked up enough to steal them. They got back to Konoha before dinner and delivered the ingredients to Lady Tsunade, and were dismissed immediately.

"That was weird," Naruto muttered.

"What do you mean?" Yukino questioned him.

"Usually Grandma Tsunade has something more to say," Naruto was interrupted before he could continue.

"She probably has her reasons," Kakashi said nonchalantly. "I have paperwork to do." He raised one of his hands while the other was in his pocket as he walked off.

"We should probably get some rest too," Yukino suggested. The three Genin departed the tower, heading home.


	23. Hunt

Chapter 22 - Hunt

Yukino awoke to the morning light. She got ready silently and peeked into Sasuke's room; still asleep, good. She snuck down the hall into the kitchen and started breakfast.

Sasuke awoke to the smell of smoke tickling his nose. Following the acrid odor, he ended up in the kitchen, watching a confused Yukino attempting to make something edible. "What did you burn this time?"

Yukino jumped and quickly spun around.

"Good morning!" Yukino greeted him a bit too cheerful, trying to hide her attempts at breakfast behind her.

Sasuke smiled at her antics, and spoke without thinking, "You used to do this all the time, though last time you had to be on a stool to reach the stove." He said with a wry grin on his face.

Her face went a little red, "It's not my fault that making food isn't my thing! In my defense, I haven't had to use a stove for years!"

He grabbed her arm lightly, "Let me see the damage you've done."

She started laughing, "No!"

He let go of her, catching onto her game. "Fine, I won't make us breakfast then…" He turned his back on her and smiled to himself, "We can just have your burnt 'food'."

She pouted, grabbing his arm she pulled him in front of the stove, "Fine! Fix it!"

He turned and smiled at her, "I win again." Sasuke quickly got to work, rescuing their taste buds from what would have been a dose of charcoal.

Yukino smiled once she was done eating, "I don't know how you got to be such a good cook, but I'm glad at least some one knows how to use a stove in this house. Otherwise we'd end up eating ramen for the rest of our lives." Both of them gave an involuntary shudder at the eating habits of their orange clad friend. "I miss this, Sasu…it's like how things were before the Chuunin Exams."

He just nodded his head, his mouth of food. It fell silent for a bit.

Yukino tried to restart the conversation. "See? You don't have to be an avenger; you can be just Sasuke. Here, with me."

Sasuke swallowed hard, he forgot about the conversation a few days ago. He was saved from answering her by a knock at the door. "Got it." He left and answered the door to see Kakashi standing on his doorstep.

"You two need to come with me." He was serious.

Sasuke informed Yukino, and they both got ready quickly and left with Kakashi. Once they left the district they found Naruto already waiting for them. He joined them as Kakashi led the way.

Naruto, as always, was oblivious to the tense and serious atmosphere that seemed to surround his teammates. "Team 7 has another mission already?"

Kakashi didn't even respond, he continued to walk deeper into the heart of the village. It was clear they were heading for the Hokage's mansion.

Naruto put his hands behind his head, "I hope the mission is harder than the last one. That was so easy!"  
"Shush!" Yukino quieted her blond teammate.

The team made it to the Hokage's office and joined up with Hinata and Sakura who were already waiting in the room.

"Good, everyone's here." Lady Tsunade was behind her desk, sitting up straight, a complete professional. "There are confirmed reports of two Akatsuki members within the borders of the Land of Fire. A team was already sent out that you will join up with. The reports put that Kisame and Itachi are the members."

Instantly the atmosphere in the room changed. At the mention of Akatsuki, Naruto stiffened up. Sasuke's hands balled into fists at the mention of his brother. The three girls could feel the tension coming from the teen boys.

"You will meet up with the team that was already sent out. Kakashi will be able to pick up the signal on the radio when you're close. You are to capture the Akatsuki members, and bring them here for questioning. Be careful, even if you know who you're up against; don't let your guard down." Tsunade finished explaining. "Go."

The large team headed out of the village towards the rendezvous point. A pair of Leaf Shinobi was waiting for them. "Yamato, Sai," Kakashi called to them as his group approached.

"Hello Kakashi," Yamato greeted his incoming team members.

Yukino gave Sai a confused look. She had never seen him before. With his…rather unusual style of dress she was sure she would have remembered him if she had. Was he always a Shinobi of the Leaf?

"Oh, that's right," Sakura noticed the awkward meeting, "Yukino, Sasuke, this is Sai. We took your places when you left in Team 7."

"I've seen him before," Sasuke responded tonelessly. He moved a step closer to Yukino. Sai was staring at her, and he didn't like that.

"Oh, that's right…" Sakura said quietly. It was the new Team 7 that had gone after Sasuke.

"Why are only you and Yamato-Taichou the only ones?" Naruto questioned Sai.

"Our larger team broke into smaller pairs. They thought it would be a quicker way to find the two Akatsuki members," Sai explained, just as toneless as Sasuke responded earlier.

"That makes sense," Naruto commented.

"Shikamaru and Shino went north, Choji and Kiba went south." Yamato explained.

"Alright, Naruto and Hinata go south-west; Sasuke and Yukino, go north-east. Sakura and I will go North-west," Kakashi explained.

"Sai and I will go south-east. Meet back here in an hour." Yamato finished. Everyone split into their groups and headed the direction they were assigned.


	24. Found

Chapter 23 - Found

Sasuke was intent on finding his brother. He seemed to forget about Yukino as he headed forward at a relentless pace. _'I can finally get my revenge.'_

"Sasuke!" Yukino called out to him. His speed was increasing and she was having a hard time keeping up. She pushed herself faster as she started to close in on him.

He stopped short by someone grabbing his shirt. "Yukino?" he completely forgotten she was with him. "Sasu…." She huffed, out of breath, "Wait…"

"We're so close, there's no time," he tried to pull away from her.

"No." She demanded. "Sasu, what are you planning on doing?"

"Kill him." Sasuke responded simply.

"Lady Tsunade said…"

"I don't care what she or anyone else has to say!" He snapped back angrily.

"Not even me..." She let him go. "Sasu?" She took a few steps back from him and turned her back.

He turned to her, she was hurt by his words: again. "Yuki…I didn't mean…"

"It's ok, I get it. You don't like me the same way I do. I know you've gotten a lot stronger than the last time you fought Itachi but…I'm still…" she couldn't get her words out. Her heart felt like it was getting torn into two.

"Yuki, I never said…" Sasuke didn't know what to say. His mind was pushing him to find his opponent, but his heart was tethering him to his spot. "And I'll be…"

Silence followed for a few minutes as the both continued to stand in the forest, neither knowing what to say.

"We should get going." Yukino mentally shook herself.

"Yuki…" Sasuke started up again, he had been fighting with himself. He was going to tell her, she had to know. He might not make it out of the next fight. "I do…I mean…" He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "I really care about you too."

"Sasu…ke?" she turned to him. Her heart gave a tiny flutter. Was he saying what she was hoping?

"I…I love you too."

Tears started up in Yukino's eyes as she ran to Sasuke and hugged him tight. "Sasuke!" A second late, her entire body froze; a familiar chakra scent was in the air.

"How?" She asked aloud. She removed herself from Sasuke as she took a few steps forward.

"Yuki?" he questioned her odd behavior.

"This chakra, I recognize it." She answered his question. "I think, because of Sylph, I can smell chakra."

"Who?"

"Itachi." She answered flatly.

The feeling around them changed. "Where?" He looked about, searching for the edge of a cloak, or a pair of eyes in the shadows.

Yukino took a deep breath, tasting the air. She could smell two streams of chakra, one she recognized as Itachi and the other she couldn't place. "There are two, and they lead this way." She took off the way the streams grew stronger.

Sasuke was close behind her. His anger growing with every step, but his previous emotions weren't forgotten. They were stopped short by someone in a large black cloak with red clouds.

"Akatsuki…" Yukino muttered.

"Itachi's partner…" Sasuke added. "Where is Itachi?"

"He's ahead." The shark-man responded. "Sasuke can go on ahead. The girl stays here."

"What?" Yukino questioned, "But…"

"Unless you want a fight," Kisame added. His voice telling them that he wouldn't mind it in the least.  
Sasuke put his hand on Yukino's shoulder, "I'll be alright. Just wait for me here, I won't be long." He reassured her, trying to give her some comfort.

Yukino looked Kisame over; she was getting a weird vibe off of him. "I…alright." She took a few steps back as she watched Sasuke advance past Kisame. She leaned against a tree as she watched Sasuke's back disappear before her. "Be careful…" she whispered.


	25. Hebi

**Thanks as always to Soprano-in-Waiting for being my ever present editor! Oh, and hopefully I can get the next chapter out next Friday too! But I can't guarantee anything; I'll be going to my first Anime Convention. So please forgive me if I don't get it out on time!**

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Yukino's senses were going haywire. She could sense all of the chakra that the two surviving Uchiha's were flinging about in their fight. She kept glancing at the blue-grey fish-man; he hadn't moved from his spot. She had to go to the fight, had to see what was happening. She took a step in the direction Sasuke had headed in earlier.

"Unless you want to fight, I'd stay put if I were you," Kisame drawled with mocking smile.

Yukino took two steps back. She was confident in her abilities, but she knew she wouldn't survive in a fight above against an Akatsuki member.

Her concern for Sasuke was thrust in the background by a sudden jolt of fear. A group of shinobi was closing in on their location, and fast. There were three chakras she didn't recognize; that wasn't what was worrying her. It was the fourth that was setting her on edge. It felt like two familiar chakras intertwined together; Kabuto and Orochimaru.

She turned her body, and watched the forest for the incoming group. Her frame shook lightly.

Kisame watched the girl tremble and turned his focus to the patch of forest that held her attention. _'What is she anticipating?'_

With an almost inaudible rustle, the group of four finally arrived. There was a large guy who was looking everywhere around him, a woman with red hair and glasses, and a blue-haired guy with a large sword. The final figure shrouded himself in an off-white cloak, hiding his face with the edge of the hood.

"He's on ahead," the woman spoke in a sing-song voice. "Ah…the chakra is amazing!"

"Good job, Karin," a familiar voice rang from under the hood.

Yukino's body shook at the sound. It sprang from the same source of Kabuto's and Orochimaru's chakra signatures – the evil was almost tangible.

The guy with the sword walked a few steps forward from the group. "Ah, Kisame-sempai, I didn't expect to see you in a place like this."

"Hmm?" Kisame questioned him.

"I didn't think I'd get one of the swords this fast," the guy commented back.

Yukino recognized the sword he was now swinging before him effortlessly: Zabuza's old sword. Seeing the old blade started bringing up old memories of the good days. She shook her head in an effort to keep a clear head. She couldn't afford to get sidetracked with the company she had around her.

The guy looked back towards his group, "You did promise me all seven swords."

The familiar voice chuckled, "Sure, Suigetsu."

Suigetsu turned back to Kisame, "Perfect. Get ready, Kisame-Sempai, I'm going to take your sword."

"I remember you now," Kisame grinned. He got into his own fighting stance. "This'll be fun."

The two swordsmen jumped at each other, and started their fight.

'_Now's my chance!'_ Yukino thought to herself. She took a step, only to get noticed before she could get anywhere.

"Good to see you on your own feet, Yukino." Kabuto's voice called to her from under the hood.  
Her body froze at his call. She turned slowly to look at the remaining trio. Her body shook violently as she tried to keep calm: it wasn't working.

"Still following Sasuke around like a little lost pup," his voice rang true and clear. "Desperately clinging to him, only to be drive him farther away."

"You're wrong!" her voice shook as she denied him.

"Am I?" Kabuto questioned back. He lowered his hood to reveal the grotesque visage he had been hiding. His skin was paler than before, and one of his eyes resembled a snake's eye, a pattern of snake scales was imprinted on the skin around it.

Her body turned to ice. She had prayed that her senses were wrong, but it was clear that some part of Orochimaru was present in Kabuto. Her arms wrapped around her sides as she looked away, afraid that even looking at the creature before her would make her curse marks reappear.

Yukino was pulled from her thoughts by a loud yell. The unnamed guy in the group seemed to have snapped. He threw his hands up in the air and turned towards Karin and Kabuto. His body grew dark as one of his arms started transforming.

Both Karin and Kabuto got ready for the impeding fight. "Careful with Jugo," Kabuto warned, "Don't kill him. He's still valuable."

Now was her chance. Yukino dashed to the cover of the trees towards the ever growing chakras that belonged to the last surviving Uchihas.


	26. Brothers

**I'm so sorry it took so long to get this out guys! First: you can blame Soprano-in-Waiting for taking so long to edit this chapter! If you want the next one out soon bug her with some PMs to get the next one done quick! Thanks again guys and please enjoy!**

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Yukino ran through the last few trees of forest to emerge at the bottom of a hill that had been surrounded by thick forest. A few of the trees were ablaze with flames as black as night, impossibly burning, yet not casting light. She was startled from her awe by a rumbling of the earth. She looked up to see a large structure on the crest of the hill. In the next moment, the roof collapsed as fireballs in the shape of dragon heads exploded from the midst of the building.

"Sasuke." Yukino breathed.

She knew that jutsu. When Sasuke had trained back at one of Orochimaru's hideouts, he had worked on his fireball jutsu so much that it had transformed into what she had just witnessed. For it to come to this was not good. She had to get up there. Before anything else happened.

Yukino ran through the thick underbrush, dodging the falling branches being consumed by the black flames. She misjudged one of the falling firebombs and couldn't dodge in time. The flame barely licked at her sleeve. Lightning fast reflexes kicked in as she tore it off as fast as she could. The flame had come uncomfortably close to her skin, letting her feel the searing heat, even without the contact. She didn't have time to check the damage, though; she continued through the forest as she bounded up the hill.

She arrived on the remnants of the roof just in time to watch Sasuke darted around to Itachi's right side. Itachi wordlessly tracked Sasuke's movements. Yukino watched as the line of flames followed in Sasuke's wake. Itachi was the creator of the black flames, she realized. The former ANBU was attempting to catch his brother in the flames, but Sasuke was just barely able to dodge the attacks. Yukino watched in a strange mixture of horror and awe at the deadly dance that was taking place. She was startled from her spectating by a sudden realization. The flames were heading right for her.  
Both brothers were startled at the sudden piercing scream that rent the air. Sasuke looked back for a brief moment, distracted by the sight of the teen. He froze in the middle of his movement, utterly confused at her sudden arrival.

Itachi quickly retracted his jutsu, dampening the odd black flames before they reached her. The strain of doing so was immediately apparent, as afterward he fell to his knees, holding his right eye, blood dripping from between his fingers.

"You two don't need to fight like this!" Yukino yelled, pleading to the brothers before her. She looked from the injured Itachi to the panting, and still stunned Sasuke.

Thunder crashed above the trio, revealing the dangerous clouds that swirled restlessly above them. The winds picked up, whipping her hair in her face. Yukino glanced up at the threatening storm that started to rage above. She was pulled back by Itachi's weary voice as he addressed Sasuke, ignoring her pleas.

"Sharingan can assess a person's chakra, and you have none left."

"You're right; I used it up in that last fire jutsu." Sasuke called out, over the roar of the wind. Rain started to fall from the menacing clouds. "However…do you think I'd come here unprepared? It will be instantaneous. This jutsu is just like Amaterasu. It is impossible to dodge. Now…as you wished, I'll create …" Lightning cracked above them, illuminating the tense scene . "Your death."

The storm raged even louder above them, the lightning strikes coming ever closer. "I obtained power and hatred; and now I'm here. Itachi, this is where you'll die! By my hands!"

Yukino could only watch as lightning from the ground and the sky met in the middle before the group. Her nerves were on edge as she watched lightning surround Sasuke's hand in a crackling cocoon of energy just before he jumped to the highest wall. The sheer power was making her skin crawl.

"This jutsu brings down thunder from the heavens. I merely direct its power towards you. The name of this jutsu is 'Kirin'. Come."

Out from the large cloud emerged a monstrous dragon of crackling blue lightning. Itachi as well as Yukino watched it as it moved through the heavens.

"Vanquish with the roar of thunder…" Sasuke commanded it. The giant dragon suddenly disappeared into the menacing cloud. As Sasuke lowered his hand, the dragon returned; heading straight for Itachi.

In a flash of light, the earth shook as entire building was reduced to rubble. Yukino's scream was overwhelmed by the noise of the storm, and the crash of the stones tumbling over each other. She saw a flash of white, even through her eyelids. She had expected to feel immense pain, but nothing came. She cracked her eyes open to see red as a warm energy encompassed her body. Her vision was slow to return, but her hearing was still functioning.

"It this…the death you wanted to create?" Itachi asked from somewhere below her.  
"Damn you!" Sasuke shouted, he sounded like he was far away.

"Without this, we would've been dead. You really have…gotten stronger…Sasuke." Itachi's voice sounded strained.

Yukino's vision was starting to return. The blurry shapes were slowly focusing into recognizable forms. She tensed as she realized the warm energy surrounding her was in the form of red bones. She started to panic as she glanced around; she was sitting in a skeleton's hand. Yukino followed the arm to its source. Itachi stood beneath the ribcage of the giant skeleton far beneath her.

"This time…" Itachi took a step forward, "I shall show you my final trump card. The Susanoo."  
Sasuke looked to his brother, confused. He had never heard of this before. "Susanoo?"

Yukino was shocked to stillness. She could only sit in the monster's hand, and listen to the brothers' talk.

"The Amaterasu and Mangekyou, when these two powers awakened, one more jutsu took over in my eyes. Sasuke, if you are hiding another power, don't hold back."

The sun started to peak through the thinning clouds, as the storm died down. The skeleton suddenly reached back, and set Yukino down far away from the fight. When it returned to its original stance, muscle quickly grew over the bones, covering the sickly bones with flesh, before encasing it in armor.

"The real battle is only beginning." Itachi's voice was distant now.

'I have to get over there! I have to do something!' Yukino started climbing over the rubble of the old Uchiha building as she tried to get closer to the fight. She was making good distance, but she wouldn't get there in time.

She watched as Sasuke threw a kunai bomb at Itachi. Itachi's Susanoo blocked the attack effortlessly with its shield. 'A shield? When did that happen? And a sword too?'

Yukino climbed over another fallen wall before resting briefly atop a high piece of rubble. She watched Itachi stumble ever closer to Sasuke. He stumbled backwards into the last surviving wall of the building. Itachi reached his right hand out towards Sasuke. Sasuke was frozen in fear as his brother inched closer.

"Sasuke! Itachi! No!" Yukino screamed at the top of her lungs. She ran forward, leaping from rock to rock. Thunder clapped above as rain started falling again. When she finally reached the standing wall, both Uchihas were on the ground.

Yukino's heart plummeted, as tears began to fall.


	27. Defend

_If you guys are still following this and reading this update; thank you! I know its been awhile since I've updated, and I really don't have any excuses for it. I can't promise that I'll get the next chapter done by next week either; but it will be done; I do plan on finishing this. Only a bit longer people! Two to three chapters and this one will be finished! (unless people ask for a sequal) So please read and enjoy!_

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Piles of rubble surrounded the scene of the fight, one lone wall barely stood among the ruins. The Uchiha crest was emblazoned on the crumbling wall, a silent witness to the battle that took place. Heedless of the surroundings, Yukino moved as swift as she could to get to the two brothers that were lying on the ground by that wall.

No noticeable chakra signatures were emanating from either Uchiha. Her nerves were on end as she knelt in between the bodies.

She gently placed her fingers against Sasuke's neck as she rested her head against his chest. A faint thud resounded like thunder in her ears: a heartbeat. He was still alive. She focused closer, focusing with all of her might to sense any fragment of chakra. Bingo – there was a small flicker of the tiniest bit still within his system.

Yukino breathed a sigh of relief, as she turned to examine the elder brother. She repeated the process on him. No hopeful pulse, no faint spark of life, he was already gone.

She removed herself from him, and hung her head in sadness. Her tears mixed with the falling rain as they fell to the ground. Sasuke was now the true Last Uchiha.

On the edge of her senses, an odd chakra caught her attention, dragging Yukino back to awareness as she snapped her head up, anxiously searching her surroundings. She didn't see anyone. She wrinkled her brow in confusion as the chakra signature suddenly disappeared. 'Who was that? Why where they here? Why didn't I notice them earlier? How long where they here?'

Yukino was on full alert in an instant. Her head turned this way and that as she looked around. The black flames still were eating away at the foliage around the hill; a few small pieces of rubble shifted among the devastation around them. Anyone could be hiding around them.

The rain slowed to a stop as she peered around, looking for her silent observer. There. Another new chakra signature was approaching fast, from the sky. A large white bird came swooping down fast and landed on one of the flatter areas of debris.

A man with long, blond hair in a ponytail dismounted from the bird. He was walking towards the trio, complaining loudly to himself, unaware of his audience.

"That little git Tobi. First he drags me in to some forest going on about having some fun with a new jutsu. Then he disappears, leaving me in the center of nowhere. Then later when I'm almost out of that damn forest, Zetsu finds me! 'Go fetch Itachi's body. Sasuke managed to kill his own brother. Bring him along as well.' That little…he defeated Itachi before I could!"

He finally made it over the rocks and timbers to his targets. He looked down towards Sasuke's body. "Don't tell me they both died…" The man looked up, finally noticing the girl kneeling next to the brothers. "Now who might you be, hn?"

"A friend of the Uchihas," Yukino growled as she stood up quickly, pulling out a kunai, and moving into a guard position before the brothers. "And I won't let you won't lay a hand on them!"

"Oh really?" The giant birdlike creature the man flew in on took flight again. It soared above the duo before dive bombing towards Yukino.

The chakra she could sense from the bird was similar to the man before her; it had to just be a jutsu. She tossed her kunai at the creature, expecting it to disappear in a puff of smoke.

The kunai stuck in the bird, but instead of disappearing in a puff of smoke, it exploded in midair. Yukino turned away from the blast to shield herself from the broiling shockwave of the explosion. She turned to survey the damage with wide eyes. Had she waited another moment that could have been her. She glanced back; neither of her self-appointed charges had sustained further damage. She would have to move this fight away to keep them that way.

A swift kick to her side knocked her away from the brothers, bringing Yukino's attention painfully back to her opponent. The blonde quickly retreated a few paces to make distance between him and his target.

"Can't destroy my parcels, now can I, hn?" He joked.. He tossed open his Akatsuki cloak to reveal two bags at his sides. He shoved his hands into the bags with a sly smile.

Yukino shakily returned to her feet, clutching her side lightly. The hit wasn't as accurate as it could have been, so, while painful, the damage was minimal. She released her side as she pulled out another kunai.

"Art is fleeting, art is explosive!" The man pulled out his hands, opening them to reveal small birds that were now sitting in the palms. He tossed the figurines into the air. They expanded midflight into double-winged birds. Yukino dodged as they began to dive at her.

After seeing the power of those explosives, she had no desire to be a part of his art firsthand. The first few rounds she dodged easily, but as the birds came back around for the next set it was getting more difficult to evade. She had to do something. She threw her kunai at one of the birds, causing it to veer off course and explode, which, in a stroke of luck, caught the second bird in its blast.

Yukino turned back to face her opponent, but he was already molding more explosive sculptures. She fingered the kunai left in her holster, four left. Unless she caught another lucky break, she was going to lose this fight.


	28. BOOM

_Hey everyone! Here's an update for you all to enjoy. Thanks as always to Soproano-In-Waiting for being my editor. This particular story is nearing the end!_

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The blond Akatsuki member shoved his hands into the pouches on his thighs again. Yukino sunk into a ready stance. She tightened the grip she had on two of her remaining four kunai, as she eyed the menace in front of her.

"Enjoy more of my explosive art!" The terrorist yelled, as he released a multitude of white clay blobs. Limbs separated from his creations. She watched in horror as six bird bombs began circling their creator.

"Crap," Yukino muttered, as she rolled to the side, dodging the first bird's attack. The explosive rose from its dive, only to fly back to the flock. Seconds later, a pair darted out to attack her. She hurled one of her precious kunai, hitting its mark. The clay blobs fell to the earth in twin explosions. Yukino could hardly believe her luck. The proverbial two birds with one stone. Any celebration was short-lived. There were still circling the blond opponent.

"Can you keep up?" her enemy teased, as he watched his birds play with the girl.

She dodged the fourth bird. Yukino emerged from her sidestep, only to have to roll to the side when she felt the bird swoop in from behind. She pulled out another kunai as she regained her footing. She was forced to sprint to outrun the first bird, as it collided with the ground, taking out the next one that had been aiming to dive bomb her in the explosion. Two left.

Yukino had more kunai than aerial attackers at this point; but what was stopping the blond freak from making more? She chucked one kunai at her real opponent, but one of the remaining birds flew into the path of the weapon, intercepting her attack, and protecting its creator.

"You really think your slow moves would work, hnn? You're putting me to sleep!" he taunted. His hands emerged from the pouches once again, fingers clenched around some new torture for the tired kunoichi. With a flick of the wrist, he scattered dozens of small round balls on the broken ground. Yukino watched with her veins turning to ice as small legs unfolded from the orbs. Simple balls became numbers of small spiders, all converging on her position.

The tiny, deadly threats on the ground had her full attention. 'One misstep and I'll get my foot blown of!' She jumped back a few times as they drew closer. The only thing saving her at the moment was their turtle pace. Well, that and the fact that eight legs were slower than wings.

BAM!

Yukino had taken her eyes off of the last bird. The bird collided with her left side, exploding as it hit her arm and shoulder. The force from the impact threw her onto the ground. Searing pain shot through her arm as the flames fed on her clothing and flesh. Clouds of smoke and dust surrounded her. With every breath she took, she inhaled in a mouthful of debris. The kunoichi coughed hard in an attempt to clear her airways. Dark eyes cracked open just in time to see the wave of spiders reach her. Shakily, she scrambled to her feet. Her miniature pursuers didn't relent. They climbed up her legs before exploding. While one alone wouldn't have done much damage, together they accomplished their objective.

Yukino was forced to her knees, screaming out in renewed pain. Falling on her already injured legs caused another wave of agony to wash over her. She fell onto her intact right side, gasping for breath. Her legs were burning, and she couldn't move her left arm at all. Yukino clenched her jaw in an effort to not give the monster the pleasure of her screams.

"You're giving up already, hnn? How pathetic. Retrieving the Uchihas' useless bodies was too easy."

Her vision blurred in and out of focus. The kunoichi tried to find the two dark blobs in the background that were her self-appointed charges. Tears pricked her eyes. She had failed them. 'Sasuke…I'm sorry….I love you…." Her field of vision was suddenly filled with a large white object growing in size as it drew closer. She clenched her eyes shut, preparing herself for the incoming explosion.

It never came.

Her opponent's grating voice echoed around the ruins, "Damn, not you two again. I thought I got rid of you two. Oh look, you have more pests with you, hnn."

The throbbing pain in her arm suddenly started to ease up. Yukino opened her eyes to see three pairs of familiar sandals standing between her and the bomber. Help had come. The rest of the large team was missing; still some had come to her rescue.

"Stay still," Sakura's welcome voice ordered. She was kneeling at the side of the injured teen, as she worked at healing her wounds.

"Watch out," Yukino's voice was weak, "He makes creatures that explode."

"We know," Kakashi responded quickly. "Naruto and I have encountered Deidara before."

"Where are the others?" Yukino questioned, concerned for their safety.

Yamato turned to look at the injured teen, "They're behind us, we came ahead." He turned back to the two with him, "What's the plan?"

"I've got this handled," Naruto said confidently, a foxy smile playing across his lips.

"The fox brat again, hnn?" Deidara chided, as he retrieved more ammunition from his bags. He smashed two full handfuls of clay, forming the largest creature Yukino had seen yet. "Maybe you'd like to experience my C2 Dragon!" He sneered.

Sakura gingerly helped Yukino sit upright, as she continued to work on healing the injured kunoichi. "What happened to you?" The med-nin questioned, as she concentrated her chakra on a particularly nasty wound on her left side.

Yukino was distracted, watching the blond's dragon grow in size. "That guy, Deidara, he beat me out with his bomb-animals." She answered, as she remembered her friend's query.

"And what about Sasuke? Where…" Sakura started, concern lacing her tone.

Yukino's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes immediately left the battle to search for her charges. She still had to protect them. It seemed, however, that with the Akatsuki member's attention being occupied by the three Konoha nin, the brothers' were forgotten about. She looked back to Sakura, grief weighed on her shoulders as she looked to the ground between them. Anything to avoid looking into those hopeful jade eyes.

Sakura's soft gasp reached her ears. She had found the two unmoving bodies on the other side of the battlefield. Yukino could hear the breath that caught in Sakura's chest as the sight registered.

"Are they…?"

"Itachi is…" Yukino couldn't get the words to pass her lips. They stuck in her throat, as the pain of the loss threatened to overtake her. Itachi might have been the enemy, but he had protected her. She screwed her eyes shut tight, as she took a deep breath in to steady herself. The action aggravated the scorched lungs Yukino had received. Pain emanated from her chest as she started coughing to dislodge the debris, causing more pain in the process.

"Yukino! Slow breaths. Try and hold your breath for a moment." the med-nin ordered her patient. She shifted her healing hands to Yukino's back in order to heal her injured lungs. She could feel the irritations receding as the chakra did its work.

"Thanks," Yukino wheezed, now breathing in small shallow gasps. Her eyes returned to the battle where Naruto, Yamato, and Kakashi had just defeated Deidara's dragon.

"That still wasn't enough, hnn?" The terrorist threw off the notorious cloak. His hands dove into the clay reservoirs once more. Pulling out a larger amount of clay, he molded his next masterpiece.

"Sakura, I'm okay now," Yukino reassured the kunoichi, as she waved the med-nin off. She climbed to her feet, eyes never leaving the fight before her. She took an unconscious step forward, wanting to help somehow.

Sakura grabbed the teen's right arm. "You're still injured!" Her voice was panicked. "I can't let you go back out there." She gently pulled her back to the ground, where she continued to heal her.

"But…," Yukino replied, but gave up, defeated. Fighting Sakura was never a good thing to do. She sat as a good patient would, watching in alarm as a large bomb-version of Deidara exploded under a dome of wood in the distance.

"You have no appreciation for my art! Hnn!" Deidara cried out. He was running out of options. If that little git, Tobi, hadn't run off, things would have gone smoother.

"Face it, you're outmatched," Kakashi called out, taunting his opponent.

Deidara ripped his shirt off, revealing a stitched line in his chest. The look on his face was maniacal as he pulled at the long dark string holding the two sides of the cavity together. "I can't believe I'm using this on pests like you, hnn. I meant this as a way to destroy Itachi, but seeing as Sasuke already took care of that job…" He winced as the string finally pulled out of his flesh.

"What is he…?" Yamato questioned the Akatsuki's moves.

Deidara pulled out one last bit of clay from his bag. The shinobi watched with disgust as the line on his chest started moving, coming to life. A tongue came out of a dark hole: another mouth. He shoved the bit of clay into it, leaning back. "Hnn," he sighed in resignation as they watched the mouth chew the clay.

"Eww, that's disgusting!" Naruto cried out at the scene.

"Be ready, Naruto," Kakashi spoke quickly. His teammate needed to keep a serious outlook about this; although, admittedly, that was asking a lot of the blond.

"Don't worry Kakashi-Sensei, I have a plan…" Naruto spoke softly, smiling slyly.

"My final masterpiece, I'm going to detonate…myself!" Deidara cried out. A blue glow started to emanate from his body as the mouth on his chest continued chewing the white substance he had shoved inside. "This explosion will take out 10 Kilometers of land! You all will die in the explosion!" he was laughing manically by then end or his declaration.

Yukino stood up quickly, once again ignoring the objection of the med-nin behind her. She took off running towards the fallen Uchihas. She had to try to get to them before Deidara managed to explode. She had to do something.

Yukino glanced behind her at the center of the action. A blond shadow clone was speeding towards the human bomb that was the soon-to-explode Deidara. A large spinning, blue orb whirled in his hand. She didn't stop running; she had to reach Sasuke.

Yukino threw her body over Sasuke's, attempting to protect him from the coming explosion. A large wooden dome sprung up from the ground. Layer covered layer as the shield came between her and the expected destruction.

The ground rocked, and shook as the explosion detonated. She had no idea if the rest of her Konoha friends had survived the kamikaze attempt of the Akatsuki member. The world flashed blinding white before it was consumed in total darkness.


	29. Bright Future

_Hey everyone! Here's the final chapter of Uchiha's Snow! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks always goes out to soprano-in-waiting for being my wonderful editor! _

_I hope you all enjoy **Bright Future**!_

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Everything hurt. Yukino felt as if her skin was burned all over one side. Every cell in her body was screaming out in protest to the tiniest movement. All she wanted to do was go back to the numb, cool darkness where the pain couldn't follow her. The intensity was beyond anything she had ever felt before. Her fuzzy mind sputtered into working on how she even got in this condition.

Without notice, everything came flowing back at once:

She had been looking for Itachi with Sasuke.

Sasuke and Itachi fought.

Itachi died and Sasuke was extremely weak.

Sasuke!

Yukino bolted upright, the sudden movement throwing the blankets away from her. Her heart beat wildly in her chest in her panic. She desperately scanned her surroundings, looking for any clue as to where she was. White walls. Utilitarian furniture. Tile floors. Soft beeping and murmurs of people. Back in the hospital again. This was becoming an unwelcome trend. However, there was just her single bed, a table, and a pair of doors. A single person room. Not a good sign.

Yukino played over the last events she recalled in her mind, as she sat trying to calm down. An Akatsuki member showed up. She fought with him; but was extremely outclassed. After this point, things were fuzzy. She faintly recalled a few other Konoha ninja showed up. There was a big explosion...

'Is that how I wound up here?' Yukino wondered internally. Her left arm sported a few bandages, and she was able to move it. Good sign. She gingerly moved her legs under the hospital blanket. She could feel the scratchy fibers against her skin, so her legs weren't in so bad of a condition that they had to be splinted or completely bandaged. Another good sign. She twisted her body around, but was halted in the first movement by a wave of pain. That wasn't good. Yukino took a look down her torso. One side was completely plastered with bandages, from armpit to the top of her thigh.  
'That's right. Probably from the explosion.'

Yukino catalogued her injuries. While they weren't minor bumps and bruises, they were small enough that she could move about if she was careful. With her personal inventory completed, her thoughts returned to the reason for her panic: Sasuke. She had to know what happened to him. Carefully, she shifted her body close to the edge of the bed. Mindful of her bandaged side, she turned so her legs were dangling off the edge. Yukino gingerly slid to her feet. First one foot, then the other. She stood there for a moment, keeping a firm grasp on the bed in case her legs collapsed from under her. They were sore, but nothing unmanageable. With cautious steps, she made her way to the door of her room.

Now she could focus on her mission: find Sasuke.

Yukino opened her door, checking left and then right. Where to even start?

"Yukino?" A familiar female voice greeted her, as Sakura entered the hallway from the adjacent room.

Yukino's face lit up in hope. Sakura should know where Sasuke was! And if she didn't, she could find out. There had to be some perks to being the Hokage's pupil. "Hi, Sakura."

The pink-haired nin cut her off. "Don't you 'Hi' me. What are you doing out of bed?" Sakura reprimanded her.

The injured teen looked confused, "I feel fine so I thought..." she was interrupted by a hand forcefully steering her back to the bed from which she had came. With a gentle, yet insistent push, Yukino was forced down to the bed.

"You aren't allowed anywhere until I give you the okay. You had some intense damage from your fight. You're probably going to have some scarring on your torso from the burn." Sakura stated as she started to give Yukino a quick exam.

After what seemed like forever, Yukino was given the okay to leave the hospital. "Make sure you change the bandages on your arm and torso every other day for the next week or so. And get plenty of rest; you're still recovering." Sakura instructed her.

"Okay, now where's Sasuke? What happened? How long was I out?" Yukino's questions flowed out of her. She had been barred from asking any during her examination by an impatient Sakura.

Sakura replaced Yukino's charts. With a sigh, she began to explain. "Deidara, the Akatsuki member we were fighting, doesn't exist any longer. He blew himself up. Yamato-taicho used his Wood Jutsu to create a barrier over everyone to try to protect us from the blast. It didn't work for long, but Kakashi-Sensei had his Kamui prepped. He used it to pull the majority of the explosion to a different dimension. It would have been much worse if Naruto hadn't used a clone and his RasenShuriken to pre-detonate the crazy Akatsuki member."

"And?" That only answered one of Yukino's questions. She was still waiting on the other two questions to be addressed. Her heart rate increased, 'She hasn't said a word about Sasuke. What if she's stalling to avoid talking about him?'

"You were out for three days, Yukino. Naruto is fine, but Kakashi is still recovering next door."

"So that's who you were with," Yukino commented.

Sakura picked up like she hadn't said anything, "Sasuke is still in the intensive care unit. His chakra was dangerously low. He seems to be getting better slowly but..."

"But what?" Amber eyes were pleading for any scrap of info she could get.

Sakura looked down and away, unable to meet Yukino's gaze. "He isn't recovering at a normal pace. And he hasn't awoken yet."

All color drained from Yukino's face. "W...what does that mean?" She whispered, fearing the worse.

"We don't know yet."

Yukino bit her lip, "Can I go see him?"

Sakura hesitated.

"Usually it isn't allowed, but he's the next one on my list. So you can follow along." She turned her back to hide her hurt face. 'You'd probably follow me anyways, or go off on your own looking for him.'

The two kunoichi left the room, and made their way to another floor, where the ICU was located. Yukino gasped when she entered his room. There in the middle of the room was a figure she could barely see under all the wires, tubes, and bandages. Sasuke was attached to a number of different machines that were softly beeping in the background. The love-struck teen ran to the side of the bed, as the med-nin checked the readings on the equipment.

Yukino knelt next to Sasuke. He looked like he was just sleeping, except for all the wires.

"Sasu." She whispered.

Monitors lit up as machines beeping increased.

"Whatever you did, do it again!" Sakura ordered excitedly.

"Sasu," Yukino called gently. She grabbed his hand carefully, mindful of the wires and tubes. The machines all responded in a growing chorus. "It's me, Yukino. I'm okay, and if you just wake up, you will be too. We're back home now. The fighting is all done."

His body was responding. His hand twitched minutely in hers as his face scrunched up. Blinking his eyes to the bright light, he awoke.

"Sasuke!" Sakura gasped. After three days of no response, she was beginning to be worried of far worse effects from his injuries.

"Sasu!" Yukino called cheerfully, squeezing his hand gently. He was awake; he was going to be okay!

"Yuki, Sakura," Sasuke quietly greeted the kunoichi in turn, his voice not as strong as he would have liked from under the mask. He wearily looked around at his surroundings. He must have been in pretty rough shape to be surrounded by all the tech. But at the moment, he couldn't remember why. Then it hit him. "Itachi?"

Sakura walked over to fill him in, gently taking the mask from his face. "After the dust settled from the explosion, we brought you all back here. Unfortunately," she halted, hanging her head, "He was...already gone. Because he was technically a missing nin, Lady Tsunade took care of the arrangements."

A feeling of sadness filled the room. Sasuke was really the last surviving Uchiha. "I'm sorry, Sasuke." Sakura spoke quietly.

Sasuke felt lost. He had killed his brother, taken revenge for his clan. What was left for him now? A squeeze of his hand brought him back from his whirling thoughts. He looked next to him, Yukino was kneeling right there. She was still there, for him. The ice around his heart, that had started to melt, broke free. A tiny, almost unrecognizable smile played across his lips.

Yukino smiled back. Her heart felt warm and full.

Sakura had noiselessly left the room. Her heart breaking, seeing the couple before her was just too much. She had finally lost him to Yukino.

"What now?" Sasuke asked his voice stronger than before, and happier.

"Well, first of all, you need to get better." Yukino answered.

His black eyes then found her bandages, "You too."

She released his hand to put her good hand on her injuries. "Yeah, it's worse than it looks. I just have to rest for awhile. I got burned from fighting Deidara."

"When did that happen?" His eyes opened in surprise. It wasn't overwhelming but his face showed so much more emotion, compared to his previous self. He was concerned for her well being, and worried that it was a side effect of his own fight.

"After you had collapsed from your injuries and exhaustion, the Akatsuki member, Deidara, came to retrieve Itachi's body, and tried to grab you as well. I tried to protect you, but ended up getting injured instead. I was lucky that the others showed up when they did. Sakura told me I was out for three days. I just awoke a little while ago." She explained.

"So you're okay?" Sasuke was still concerned.

Yukino nodded her head, "Fine except for the burns. Now we can live our lives. Work as ninja for Konoha. Hang out with our friends. Be together..." she smiled shyly, a blush creeping onto her face.

Sasuke almost wondered if she could read thoughts. It was as if she sensed his loss of purpose earlier. He remembered the conversation they had before this all happened. It seemed so long ago now. A warm smile played on his lips, as an idea entered his mind. "Come over here for a second."

"What? I'm already here..." Yukino was confused.

A frustrated look crossed his face, "No, I mean I want to tell you something secret." His movement was restricted thanks to all the machines he was still connected to.

Yukino glanced around the room. Sakura wasn't there. She must have left without them knowing. "But we're alone, Sasu. There's no one here to overhear."

He sighed, why was she being so difficult? She was almost channeling Naruto. He kept his cool. "It's a shinobi hospital. People could still be listening in."

Yukino was still confused, but she'd humor the Uchiha. "Okay," she moved, and put her face near his, almost touching the pillow.

He moved his head slightly, inching closer to Yukino's face. He brushed his lips against her cheek, his own cheeks turning slightly red at the action.

Yukino gasped in surprise. She turned to look at him, shocked to see him actually blushing. 'Is this really Sasuke? No, he's changed. More like his old self; before any of this nonsense happened.'

"Oh, Sasu," she called his name fondly.

"Yuki," he replied sweetly back.

It seemed that the dark clouds of the future had finally started to shift. The future looked bright for the two of them.

THE END.


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